


Colourful Days With You

by DatHeetJoella



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Appearances of Various Different Characters, Developing Relationship, Different Tags Apply to Different Fics, Established Relationship, First Kiss, First Love, First Meetings, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Light Angst, M/M, Makoharutokyo, Post-Canon, Romance, autumn vibes, canonverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:20:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 49,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26704351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DatHeetJoella/pseuds/DatHeetJoella
Summary: A collection of short, standalone MakoHaru fics. Every fic is written based off the prompts for Fantober 2020.
Relationships: Nanase Haruka/Tachibana Makoto
Comments: 128
Kudos: 112





	1. First Day of Fall

**Author's Note:**

> Happy October everyone! I hope this collection finds you all in good health. Although I've been working on some other projects, I couldn't help but want to make another attempt at something Inktober-ish. So when I found [the prompt list for Fantober 2020 on Twitter](https://twitter.com/fantober2020/status/1302101657946214401), I was intrigued and decided to take on the challenge. Please show the organisers some love, they put a lot of effort into this event!
> 
> I did work ahead on these fics because I knew there was no way I could write and post a fic on the day it was due, but most of these were written within one or two days. To make sure I wouldn't get off-track, I aimed for all these fics to be between 500-1500 words, but at the time of writing this, I haven't finished all of them yet. Knowing myself and the prompts that are ahead, it's possible that some will be a bit longer than that, but I'll see when I get there. I am taking some creative liberty with some of the prompts, but I suppose that speaks for itself.
> 
> Anyway, I hope this collection can bring a bit of low-stake MakoHaru goodness to you every single day of October (or thereafter if you're reading this later.)
> 
> Please enjoy! ^^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 850  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff

When he swung the library's door open, the crisp autumn breeze ruffled Makoto's locks and sliced at his neck. In the few hours of studying after class, the temperature dropped considerably and he shivered inside his light, olive-coloured jacket.

"Aren't you cold, Haru?" he asked as he pulled up the zipper, eyeing Haruka's bare forearms.

Haruka shrugged. "It's only September. Two weeks ago you were complaining about the heat, wishing the weather would cool down a bit, and now you're complaining about the cold?"

A light chuckle escaped Makoto's lips. "I'm not complaining yet, just asking. My complaints are reserved for December."

Despite his large physique, Makoto had never done well in extreme weather no matter what end of the spectrum. And truthfully, neither had Haruka, he simply wasn't as vocal about it. Whenever the thermostat reached above thirty degrees and there was no body of water nearby for a quick dip, his cheeks would redden and an adorable pout twisted his features. He never voiced his displeasure, but his eyes were filled with unquenchable longing for his next submersion. It was pretty cute, yet the joy radiating off his face when he finally got to swim again - which was usually the next day - was unmatched.

It was a shame Makoto wouldn't be able to see that look on him for at least another nine months or so, but in the meanwhile, there were lots of other things he could look forward to.

"It's crazy how quickly the weather can change, though," he said as they strolled through the city, heading towards the train station. "But I'm kind of excited about this season: the leaves changing into all sorts of pretty colours, eating roasted sweet potatoes at the park, visiting cultural festivals, holidays, cuddling up underneath your grandmother's quilt while watching a movie."

"A scary movie?"

"Absolutely not!"

A soft, almost inaudible snort left Haruka's nose, an expression of amusement, and Makoto couldn't help but smile. Although the wind was rather frigid, being with Haruka always flooded his chest with warmth.

"We won't be able to swim outdoors anymore, but I guess fall isn't the worst," Haruka said, adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder. The tips of his fingers were dyed pink and when Makoto traced his gaze up over his arm, he saw the tiniest of goosebumps erupted on Haruka's skin.

"Are you sure you aren't cold?" Makoto asked, and Haruka defensively rubbed at his arms. "Do you want my jacket?"

"If I took your jacket, you'd be freezing and you'd moan about it the entire way. I prefer being a bit chilly. I can handle the cold better than you anyway."

There was no use arguing because Haruka was right. Maybe they could speed up their pace to get to the station faster. "Sorry, Haru. If I knew beforehand the wind would be this strong, I would've brought you a cardigan."

Haruka's cheeks flushed pink, but Makoto was pretty sure it wasn't because of the weather. "Idiot, I should've brought my own jacket."

This look on Haruka was a sweet one, too. His nose tinged red by the sting of autumn, his otherwise tidy hair swept astray until it got officially cold enough to wear a hat, unconsciously huddling a bit closer to Makoto so his wide frame blocked out the icy wind. If this was the sight he'd see for the upcoming six months, then maybe Makoto could learn to love sweater weather, too.

"If you're that cold, you can stay over at my place tonight, if you want," Haruka said, averting his eyes as he kicked at a stray leaf.

It wasn't like a snowstorm was headed their way, putting the trains out of order and preventing him from getting home safely. But Makoto would've been out of his mind if he declined such a lovely offer. "I'd like that."

"When we get home, I can make us some hot chocolate," Haruka said, still not meeting Makoto's gaze.

"Oh, I could really go for a warm drink right now, especially hot chocolate," Makoto sighed marvelling at the thought. "Do you have marshmallows?"

"I don't, but we can stop by the convenience store to get some," Haruka proposed, "As a reward for… starting your essay."

Makoto giggled. "I haven't finished it yet, though."

"Starting is the hardest part, and you were dreading it, so."

It was an excuse for giving in to Makoto's sweet tooth, but the meaning laced through his words didn't get lost on Makoto. _I'm proud of you_.

"Thanks, Haru," Makoto said, and he gently grasped onto Haruka's hand and entwined their fingers, tugging Haruka to his side so their arms brushed. "In the meanwhile, I'll keep you warm."

Haruka only huffed, but he didn't pull his hand away. On the contrary, he leaned in even further, till their shoulders bumped with every step.

Each season had its charm, but if this weather brought him hot chocolate and a good reason to hold Haruka's hand on the walk to his apartment, then perhaps fall would be his favourite season of all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> For more MakoHaru content, you can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/DatHeetJoella) and [Tumblr](https://datheetjoella.tumblr.com/) @DatHeetJoella. You can also send me a message on [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/DatHeetJoella) if you'd like.
> 
> Thanks again and I hope to see you again tomorrow :)


	2. Tea and Coffee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,072  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff

With their hands clasped together, Makoto and Haruka weaved through the sea of students and businesspeople. They weren't running late, but they'd missed out on their morning swim and weren't ahead of the crowd as usual.

Lost in thought, Haruka let himself be dragged along, confident Makoto would keep him from bumping into people. There was a restless itch beneath his skin, one that could solely be scratched by the water's touch. If only he could skip his lectures and jump straight into afternoon practice.

Suddenly, Makoto came to a halt, startling him from his trance. Haruka looked up and saw the building Makoto had stopped at; a small, picturesque café tucked between the concrete.

"We have about fifteen minutes before our trains leave, do you want to get anything to drink? I could use some caffeine," Makoto said, gesturing his head towards the door.

"Sure," Haruka mumbled and he followed Makoto into the shop.

"I'll join the queue, you can wait here," Makoto said with his gentle smile. "What do you want?"

"Green tea," Haruka said, "Thanks."

While Makoto got in line, Haruka sat down at the nearest vacant booth, thankful no one would be breathing down his neck if he took too long stashing his change away in his wallet. Now, he could simply stare out the window and wallow in his daydreams.

Despite the morning rush, the queue moved quickly and Makoto was back with their drinks within a few minutes.

"Here." Makoto held out one of the take-out cups to him.

"How much?"

"My treat," Makoto said, "To make it up to you from last night and this morning."

Haruka scoffed. "You don't have to make up for anything," he said, but accepted the cup without further protest.

Per Haruka's invitation, Makoto stayed over at his apartment last night. By the time Haruka's bedtime had long since passed, Makoto was still working on the essay he started earlier. He was afraid he would lose momentum and miss the deadline if he stopped before it was finished. So Haruka stayed up as well, not wanting to go to sleep while Makoto was working hard, and he pushed himself to read another chapter of his textbook. In the end, he forgot to set his alarm and though he usually woke up before it rang, alas they weren't as lucky this time around.

It was a bit annoying he missed out on his bath _and_ morning dip, but it wasn't like he was mad or anything - as if he could ever get mad at Makoto over something so trivial. Despite apologising multiple times and Haruka telling him it was fine, Makoto apparently still felt bad about it. If he felt like he could make up by buying him tea, then Haruka would let him. He'd just treat Makoto to dinner tonight and they'd be even again.

With their drinks in hand, they went back out onto the jam-packed street. Haruka took a sip of his tea, the liquid burning his lips a little, when he heard a gagging noise from beside him.

"What's wrong?" Haruka asked, taking in the grimace on Makoto's face. "Did they give you the wrong order?"

"No, this is exactly what I ordered," Makoto said, yet the look of disgust prevailed. "Black coffee."

A frown twisted Haruka's thin eyebrows. "Why did you order black coffee?" Makoto always added heaps of milk and sugar and then some, otherwise he couldn't stomach coffee. Haruka couldn't imagine why he wouldn't do that now. Then, a memory of their first day of middle school flashed through his mind, of when Makoto decided to address himself differently from one moment to the next. "Are you trying to be more adult-like?"

"That's not it!" Makoto said, although the sheepish way he rubbed his neck told him his actual reason wasn't much better. "I'm trying to dial down my sugar intake and I thought this would be a good way to do it."

"Why are you so concerned about that all of a sudden?"

"Because I'm getting older and it's not healthy to eat so much sugar."

Haruka snorted. "Why don't you start by cutting back on all those chocolate cookies you eat?"

"I can't! Those are my rewards, they keep me on track of my studying schedule. That's why I thought I would start by drinking black coffee." He took another sip and instantly, his handsome face contorted again. "But it's really impossible."

Haruka sighed and shook his head in fond exasperation. "Here. There's not as much caffeine in it as in coffee, but it's better than nothing."

Makoto gawked at the offered cup like it was the last droplet of water in acres of desert, but he averted his head. "Thanks, but I can't. This was supposed to be my treat to make it up to you, I can't take your drink just because I don't like mine."

"Just take it," Haruka insisted, "We both know you're not going to finish yours and that's a waste. I don't mind black coffee."

It never took much to sway Makoto, but the stern look on Haruka's face made him accept the tea without further objections. "Thanks. I promise I'll make it up to you."

The soft smile he blessed Haruka with was enough to pay all of his dues. "Come over tonight after work. I'll make you a low-sugar dinner."

"I'd love to, but I don't see how that equals to me making up to you?"

"You can help out," Haruka said, unable to resist teasing him a little, "As long as you don't chop off your fingertips and don't mix up the salt and the sugar again."

"I won't," Makoto chuckled, "I've gotten better at cooking since we moved here, you know."

"I know," Haruka gave in, the corners of his mouth curling upwards.

At last, they arrived at the station; the place to part ways for the day. They swiped their cards and passed through the gates, then Makoto turned to him.

"Thanks again for swapping drinks with me," he called as he began to walk off to his platform, waving with his free hand. "See you tonight!"

"Bye."

With a heavy heart, Haruka sped up his pace to catch his train on time. The longing for the water had been replaced by yearning for this evening to come. Now he had to figure out what they could cook up for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow! ^^


	3. Rainy Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 860  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff

Rain tapped rhythmically against the window and roused Haruka from his slumber. He opened his eyes and his heart overflowed with bliss.

Still fast asleep, Makoto was lying on his stomach beside him, arm propped underneath his pillow and face turned to him. His brown locks were even more tousled than usual, evergreen eyes shielded beneath thick lashes, mouth slightly agape. Peaceful, unguarded, tranquil. Breathtaking.

Seizing the opportunity to drink in the beautiful sight, Haruka carded his fingers through Makoto's hair, brushing the stray strands from his forehead. Careful as to not wake him, he pressed a light kiss above his eyebrow, unable to resist the urge. The second his lips left his skin he was overcome with the desire for more, but that would have to wait until later. He couldn't disturb Makoto when he looked so sweet. Not when he might be interrupting a pleasant dream.

With the most urgent hunger satiated, Haruka turned around to check the time on his phone. It was about eight-twenty, ten minutes before his alarm would go off. Haruka stared at the screen, then at the window, back and forth, until he decided to switch the alarm off.

Today, the new jellyfish exhibit would open at the aquarium Makoto and he frequented. The opening was supposed to be a grand event, so they had plans to go in the afternoon to avoid the largest crowd.

Although Haruka had been pretty excited about this date all week, the dark, looming clouds outside paired with the toasty clutch of the sheets made the desire to get up and go about his day diminish. At that moment, there was nothing he wanted more than to turn around and snuggle himself against Makoto's body, and maybe drift off to sleep for a couple more hours. The jellyfish could wait until later; the tank would probably look more magical if the room was quiet, without the hordes of rambunctious people obscuring their vision.

Haruka lied back down and scooted closer to Makoto, who naturally turned on his side as if to invite him into his embrace. When he tried to burrow his face into Makoto's neck, a cowlick of black hair brushed against Makoto's nose and he flinched in response. His eyes fluttered open, emerald foggy with sleep, but he smiled when he saw him.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Haruka asked despite knowing he had.

"It's alright, I think it was almost time to wake up anyway, right?" Makoto stretched his arms over his head and his spine cracked disgustingly.

"Actually, I was thinking we could sleep in for a bit and go to the aquarium later."

Makoto frowned. "I thought you were looking forward to the new exhibit."

"I was. I still am, but…" Haruka glanced over his shoulder at the sliver of splattered glass visible through the blue curtains.

"Is it raining?" Makoto asked, leaning up on his arm to see.

"Pouring," Haruka said, "I don't want to get up."

Concern flashed through Makoto's eyes. "Is it one of those days?"

"No, that's not it. I just feel like staying in bed a little while longer." With you. Haruka didn't say that, but he didn't need to.

"That's rare. Usually you're already in the bath by the time I wake up."

"Because I'm in a hurry then," Haruka said as an excuse. Makoto didn't need to know he lingered in bed every morning to enjoy his warmth and hold, even if only for five more minutes. "But I'll leave if that's what you want."

"I'm not saying that," Makoto said with a chuckle as he threw his arm over Haruka's body and pulled him closer. "I prefer it like this, you know. Lazy mornings in bed with you, no rush, just us."

"Me too," Haruka murmured, so softly it was almost inaudible.

He tilted his head and pressed a light but sweet peck on Makoto's mouth. After a few seconds, Haruka started to pull back but Makoto captured his lips, drawing him into a deep and passionate kiss. His fingers flexed against Makoto bare's back, then melted around him.

When their lungs began to ache, they parted. They remained close and Makoto's breath tickled against Haruka's face, enticing him for more.

There was nowhere in the world Haruka wanted to be more than right here, enveloped by a duvet-cocoon, in the arms of his boyfriend. No jellyfish, manta ray, and not even a mackerel could change his mind about that.

As always, Makoto was more in tune with his thoughts than he himself was sometimes. "Hey, Haru?"

"Hm?" Haruka hummed, tracing nonsensical patterns on Makoto's skin, goosebumps budding beneath his nails.

"How about we postpone our aquarium visit and just stay here all day?"

Haruka could barely suppress a grin. "Sounds great."

Their lips met in another tender kiss, and another, and many more.

The rain outside continued to drizzle. It got heavier and heavier, joined by an orchestra of thunderclaps and lightning strikes, washing over the trees and down the buildings. A storm passed over Tokyo, the perfect backdrop for a lazy day in bed filled solely with gentle kisses and loving cuddles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow! ^^


	4. Love Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,258  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Jealous!Haru

Swim practice ended thirty minutes sooner than usual and before he knew it, Haruka found himself not on the train home, but on the train to Meijo Chuo. He knew Makoto's schedule almost as well as his own and now they were free around the same time, Haruka thought he would surprise Makoto at his university. There was some time to spare before Makoto's shift at the pool started, so they could stop by their favourite ramen place for an early dinner.

He got to the university on muscle memory solely, his mind in the clouds. Although he would never admit it aloud, a part of him was pretty eager to see Makoto right now. They met up as often as they could between school, work and practice, but somehow, it wasn't enough. Every time he saw Makoto's approaching form in the distance, it was like a weight dropped from his shoulders, while every goodbye left his heart heavy.

Despite going to Hidaka himself, he was very familiar with Meijo Chuo's campus. Makoto's last class of the day was Exercise Physiology so he went straight to the building the course was located in. If he didn't run into him there, he'd send him a text. No need to ruin the surprise prematurely.

Fortunately, it didn't take long before he spotted Makoto. His back was turned to him, but after growing up together side by side, he'd recognise his silhouette anywhere. Haruka opened his mouth to call out to him, but then he saw Makoto wasn't alone.

A girl around their age stood before him. Her long, off-black hair was swept upwards by the breeze as she twiddled her thumbs, downturned eyes barely visible behind her round glasses. A bright blush lit up her face and she shuffled her feet, not meeting Makoto's gaze.

Makoto had mentioned her before. If he was remembering correctly, her name was Sasaki, a girl from one of his classes that he was also in a study group with. Although Haruka never met her himself, Makoto had described her as a confident, no-nonsense woman. But with the way she was acting now, so nervous and jittery, Haruka doubted whether he mistook her for someone else.

The second he realised what was going on, Haruka casually ducked behind a nearby tree, out of sight. He didn't mean to stay and eavesdrop, but something about her attitude didn't sit right with him. Rather, he was unable to tear his eyes away from the site, not when a feeling of impending doom befell him. He knew that look, had been on the receiving end of it once or twice himself, and it didn't predict much good.

"And you're so smart and helpful, and I just think you're a really nice guy," the girl said, stumbling over every other word. "Which is why… I like you, Tachibana-kun! Please go out with me!"

There it was.

Haruka curled in his fingers to keep himself from shaking. A beast was unleashed inside his gut, gnawing at his organs and wreaking havoc, but he couldn't look away from the girl as she bowed deeply in front of Makoto. She was undeniably pretty, and even if he didn't know her, he couldn't imagine Makoto would willingly exchange notes with someone who wasn't kind. Any guy would probably be overjoyed to get a love confession from a girl like her.

After what felt like a century of holding his breath, Makoto finally spoke.

"Thank you, Sasaki-chan," he said, and Haruka's jaw clenched at the tone of his voice. "I think you're a really nice person too, but I'm sorry. I can't accept your feelings."

Inexplicable relief washed over Haruka. What else had he expected Makoto to say?

Sasaki raised her head. "Am I not good enough?"

"That's not it!" Makoto said, awkwardly waving his hands. "But…"

"Then, is there someone else?"

"There is," Makoto admitted softly, almost bashfully, "Which is why I can't go out with you."

"That's alright," Sasaki said, trying to put up a smile, but it wasn't genuine. "I'm sure that, whoever she is, she likes you too."

"I hope so," Makoto said, and his smile shone through in his voice.

"Well, thanks for hearing me out. Good luck with your crush. I'm sure it'll work out."

"Thank you. I hope you'll meet someone who returns your feelings soon."

With that, the two said their goodbyes and Makoto turned around. Haruka forgot he was doing something he wasn't supposed to and stared straight into Makoto's eyes.

"Haru!" Makoto said, startled. "I thought you'd still be at practice."

Caught, Haruka walked out from behind the tree as nonchalantly as possible. "They had to do some maintenance at the pool so practice ended early, so I thought I'd stop by to ask if you wanted to get some food before your shift."

"Yes, I'm craving a bowl of spicy ramen from that place near the station."

Haruka smiled. Sometimes, he wondered if Kisumi had been right about their hearts being connected.

They fell into a steady pace as they left campus grounds, but an icky feeling clung to Haruka's skin. The scene he just witnessed kept replaying in his head, unable to be digested and discarded and he didn't understand why.

It wasn't like this was the first confession Makoto received. The amount of times he had to turn down a heartfelt and sincere request to become some random person's boyfriend couldn't be counted on two hands. These people didn't know Makoto like Haruka did, but that didn't mean he didn't understand their feelings. After all, he shared those feelings, even if his were on a completely different level. So why was he so upset?

"Did you overhear my conversation with Sasaki-chan?"

Makoto's words yanked him from his musings. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't hide anything from him.

"Kind of."

Their shoulders bumped and when Haruka looked up, Makoto smiled, the sweet, special smile that was reserved for him. "You know I would never accept any of those confessions, right?"

Haruka's blood rushed to his cheeks and he averted his gaze. "I know."

"Unless you were the one confessing."

"As if," Haruka huffed and Makoto giggled in response.

"I mean it, though. No matter how many people confess to me, I'll turn them all down, because I love only you."

Of course, Haruka knew that. He felt it in Makoto's smile, the joy glimmering in his irises when their eyes met, his gentle touch and every thoughtful gesture. He despised it, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't get jealous now and then, and since they moved to Tokyo, it progressively got worse. Not because he didn't trust Makoto, but because he didn't trust other people. Most had good intentions, but that couldn't be said for everyone. The thought of losing Makoto, even if it was very brief and fleeting, stung. A lot.

But hearing Makoto say how much he cared did lift the rock from his stomach.

"And, was Sasaki-chan right?" Makoto asked and when Haruka frowned, he said, "When she said she was sure you like me too?"

"What do you think, idiot?" Haruka grumbled as he sped up his step. "I'll go eat by myself."

Makoto chuckled and chased after him. "Haru, wait! I was just teasing you!"

The next time Makoto got a confession, he still wouldn't like it. But the certainty Makoto would always have the same response and that he came home to him afterwards did rest Haruka's heart with ease.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	5. Sleepover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,115  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, New Relationship, Fluff

Usually, taking a shower or bath anywhere but in his bathroom would be a great source of stress for Haruka. The spray of the showerhead would be either too weak or too strong, the temperature of the water came in options freezing or boiling, and the soap and shampoo were often weirdly-scented. But Makoto's bathtub was free of these issues and felt like a second home, so he could relax here like few other places. It was what came after he got out of the bath that made him feel like he was in a hotel room the night before an important competition.

Part of it felt mundane to him, because he had stayed over at Makoto's place countless times prior, but another part of him felt hesitant. This was their first sleepover since they voiced their feelings for each other and that made it different. Exciting, but different. And whenever something changed in Haruka's life, he had to have a moment to adjust, to get used to the new situation. He didn't want things to be awkward between Makoto and him, he couldn't even imagine feeling uncomfortable around Makoto, but these inexplicable nerves in his stomach made him question everything he knew.

When the water turned so cold he began to tremble, he finally got out. He dried himself slowly to stretch out as much time as he could, but when he picked apart the stack of clothes Makoto had given him, he smiled.

The grey sweatpants were nothing special, but the shirt was; it was the orange and yellow t-shirt he often wore when he was over at Makoto's place because it was his favourite. Not only was it very comfy, but it also looked great on Makoto, which was why he wore it a lot too. All of his clothes smelled like him, but something about wearing that specific shirt made Haruka feel like he was constantly in Makoto's arms.

Soothed by the familiarity, Haruka went to brush his teeth without further delay. When he left the bathroom and was greeted by Makoto's sweet smile, all the worries that plagued his mind vanished.

He'd feared things would be a bit weird or foreign between them, but he couldn't have been more wrong. Nothing had changed. One look confirmed that. They were still Makoto and Haruka, childhood friends who loved each other wholeheartedly. Rather than changing, their relationship had evolved into something it was always meant to become. Something so natural could never be strange.

"Did you have a nice bath?" Makoto asked and he automatically grabbed the towel from Haruka's neck to dry his hair, knowing Haruka couldn't be bothered.

"Hm." Haruka's eyes almost fell shut in delight as Makoto massaged his scalp. Although he'd been dawdling before, there was nothing he wanted more now than to get into bed with Makoto.

As if on cue, Makoto said, "I guess I don't have to lay out the futon now, do I?"

"No. Unless you'd rather sleep in it."

"Preferably not," Makoto chuckled and he pulled the towel from Haruka's head in a swift motion. "I'm going to take a quick shower. I'll be right back."

With that, he placed a light but sweet kiss on Haruka's lips, a promise for more later. It left a smile in its wake.

While Makoto went into the bathroom, Haruka grabbed his phone from his bag and lied down on Makoto's bed. They hadn't shared a bed in years, but it felt nice to bury himself beneath the striped grey duvet. Like he finally reclaimed his rightful spot.

After he set his alarm, Haruka played a mobile game to stay awake while he waited for Makoto to finish up. It would be a shame if he fell asleep during their first night together without at least cuddling and exchanging a couple more kisses. His eyelids were rather heavy, so he'd appreciate it if Makoto could hurry a bit.

Thankfully, Makoto never disappointed. Before long, he returned in his salmon-coloured shirt and a pair of black shorts, smelling like his lemongrass deodorant. Haruka put his phone on the headboard and rolled over until his back hit the wall to give Makoto more space.

Once Makoto settled himself on the mattress, he opened his arms and Haruka scooted closer to snuggle up with him. Their noses nearly touched and the joy Haruka felt in his chest twinkled in Makoto's eyes. He raised his hand and carded his fingers through his brown locks, only to find his roots were still damp.

"You always pester me about drying my hair properly, yet you can't even practice what you preach."

"You're right, sorry," Makoto said with a snort of amusement, "I just wanted to get back to you as soon as possible."

Butterflies fluttered in Haruka's stomach and to keep himself from smiling too widely, he pressed his lips to Makoto's. The kiss was reciprocated fervently. When Haruka pulled back, Makoto was grinning at him like an idiot.

"What?"

"Nothing, just," Makoto said, a cute, rosy tinge dusting his cheekbones, "I'm happy. I've always been happy to be with you, but it's like I feel extra happy now. It sounds silly, I know."

"It doesn't," Haruka said, shaking his head, "I feel the same."

"I love you," Makoto murmured, tightening his arm around Haruka's back.

Haruka leaned in to kiss him again, but before their mouths touched, he said, "I love you too."

They shared a few pleasant, loving kisses when Haruka suddenly pulled back to stifle a yawn.

"Sorry."

"It's alright," Makoto said, studying the space between the back of Haruka's head and the wall. "I should probably get a bigger bed, though."

"Don't bother. We'll get a double bed when we move in together."

The words left him spontaneously, without consideration, because it seemed like the most obvious solution to him. Now their relationship was official, living together was the next logical step. Then they'd be able to see each other every day regardless of their busy schedules, and they'd save up on rent too. Until then, he didn't mind having to curl up against Makoto's chest during every sleepover. Getting two double beds for such a short amount of time would be a waste of money. But maybe Makoto didn't see it that way.

To his relief, Makoto said, "You're right." They were always on the same page, so Haruka had no reason to doubt it now. "It's getting late though, so let's talk more about this tomorrow."

Haruka nodded and with a final kiss goodnight, he nuzzled his face against Makoto's neck. Makoto whispered a wish for pleasant dreams, but Haruka drifted off before he could respond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	6. The Fair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,213  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Festival

The scent of oil and fried food was overwhelming, the lights inside the lanterns were far too bright and there were so many people he had to evade a stray elbow every couple of meters. All the ingredients to ruin Haruka's day were here, and yet, as Makoto and he roamed through the crowded festival, Haruka found he didn't mind it as much as he should.

Although this festival was larger and more extensive than the ones held in Iwatobi, walking through the narrow paths between the stalls flooded him with nostalgia. Memories of going to festivals with Makoto and their families flashed before his eyes: eating candy apples, scooping for goldfish, picking out matching masks and lighting sparklers together. So many years had passed, and though the childlike excitement didn't bubble up quite as strongly anymore, the special feelings he got at festivals hadn't dwindled.

A hand entered his vision and startled Haruka from his reminiscence. "Here. Be careful, it's hot."

Haruka softly blew on the offered takoyaki, then bit it from the stick. It was still too hot on the inside, but very tasty nonetheless.

"It's good, isn't it?" Makoto said with a satisfied grin, twinkling lights reflected in his evergreen irises.

He'd grown so much in the last decade, but that grin hadn't changed a smidge since he pulled him along by the sleeve to the ring toss stand. Back then, Makoto was still smaller than him and he looked downright adorable in his little green yukata. While he was also very handsome in the navy shirt and brown trousers he was currently wearing, Haruka would've liked to see him in yukata again. It was a shame he'd outgrown his last one. A traditional yukata with a more mature design would look great on him now he was a young adult, although he was still as cute as he was when he was younger.

When Haruka realised he hadn't responded yet, he hummed in approval.

"The yakisoba from that stall also smells great, doesn't it?" Makoto said as he pointed in the distance, "Oh, and I also want to get a choco-banana later."

"You haven't even finished your takoyaki yet and you're already thinking about what you can eat next? Do you only come here for the food?"

"Not only," Makoto said with a chuckle. "But food is an important part of the festival experience, isn't it? Doesn't seeing and smelling all this delicious food make you crave it?"

Admittedly, most of the foods on display did look enticing, even to Haruka. Maybe he'd get some ikayaki later.

Then, he spotted it and the thoughts of food spontaneously disappeared. He stopped dead in his tracks, eyes fixated on his goal.

Among the prizes perked up in the gun-shooting stall sat a Northern Stoplight Loosejaw-kun plushie. Of all the Deep Sea Crossing characters, the one this game stall had merchandise of happened to be his favourite. Come hell or high water, that plushie was going home with him tonight.

"Haru?" Makoto called, and when he followed his line of vision, he gasped. "Loosejaw-kun?"

Without another word, Haruka stormed over to the stall. The last thing he wanted was for him to dawdle, only for some random kid to run off with _his_ plushie. Never had he magicked his wallet out of his pocket quite this fast and he threw some coins on the counter, then grabbed the gun before the clerk could speak two words to him.

He put the cork inside the gun, aimed very carefully and pulled the trigger. Miss. He straightened his back and took a deep breath. Two more tries. He couldn't mess this up.

"Here," Makoto said as he held out another piece to him, "It's a good luck takoyaki."

Despite his annoyance at his missed shot, he smiled at the gesture. Makoto was too cute.

While chewing on Makoto's good luck token, Haruka loaded the gun once more. This time, the cork missed Loosejaw-kun's angler by a hair.

"Almost!" the clerk said and Haruka huffed.

"You can do it, Haru!" Makoto cheered, but it was in vain.

To Haruka's greatest frustration, the third cork missed by a landslide. It took all the patience in his bones to put the gun on the counter calmly. These kinds of things usually didn't upset him that much, but this game was clearly rigged and there was no chance for him to win his prize.

"Too bad, sir," the clerk said with that irritating salesperson look. "You almost had it, so why not give it another try?"

It was very tempting. He really wanted that Loosejaw-kun plush, but he knew better than to waste his money on a scam. He could probably find a similar plushie online for cheaper than all the money it would take him to win it with this game.

"I'd like to try," Makoto said as he took out his wallet.

"It's okay," Haruka said, guilt creeping up to him; Makoto had noticed his disappointment and wanted to make him feel better. "You don't have to."

"Just one try. Can you hold this?" Makoto handed him his almost-empty container.

Haruka took it, but he couldn't help but protest again. "It's a waste of money anyway."

"It won't be," Makoto assured as he popped the cork into the gun. "I'm pretty confident in my shooting skills, you know?"

A part of him was surprised by Makoto's poise, another part wished he didn't overestimate his abilities when the chance of winning was rather small - and a third part thought Makoto looked pretty cool like this, but he'd never tell him that.

Makoto leaned over the counter with one eye pinched shut, hyper-focused, and Haruka held his breath as he fired the shot.

The cork hit Loosejaw-kun square in the face and he fell over.

"We have a winner!" the clerk announced as he went over to fetch the prize.

With a smile of contentment, Makoto put the gun down. In any other situation, Haruka would probably be a bit irked Makoto succeeded on his first try while all of his were utter failures. But in this case, he was simply happy with the result. Victory was rarely this sweet.

The clerk gave Makoto the plushie, who in turn passed it to Haruka.

"Thank you," Haruka murmured, a genuine smile brightening his features.

In the company of Loosejaw-kun, Makoto and Haruka continued their stroll over the festival. They stopped at several more food stalls to satiate Makoto's every craving, and towards the end of the night, they found a quiet spot on a park bench to watch the fireworks.

"These festivals always bring back a lot of memories, don't they?" Makoto said as he took a bite of his chocolate-coated banana with sprinkles.

Haruka nodded, the smile that lit up his face earlier hadn't dimmed yet.

"I'm glad we were able to come here together."

"Me too."

They shared a brief, sugary kiss, unable to contain their longing. Fireworks exploded in the distance, painting the night sky with vibrant reds and yellows and purples. Although bad memories could never be overwritten completely, there was always room to make new, better memories. And even without Loosejaw-kun as a reminder, Haruka was certain he would never forget this amazing night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	7. Sick Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,245  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Sick!Makoto

Back when they were still living in Iwatobi, Haruka's mornings wouldn't be complete without a reached-out hand, a gentle smile and a 'good morning, Haru-chan'. Now Makoto and he were no longer neighbours and their apartments were a train ride apart, this ritual had been replaced by a text to relay the sentiment: a hand and a smiling face emoji and 'good morning, Haru-chan' written beside them. It wasn't quite the same as seeing Makoto in person, but between the distance and their busy schedules, this was the best alternative and Haruka looked forward to the beep of his phone as he sat in the bath every morning.

So when that message didn't come, Haruka frowned. Figuring Makoto must've been in disarray and forgot to send it - although he couldn't imagine Makoto would forget him - Haruka stepped out of the tub and got dressed.

But by the time he was grilling mackerel, his inbox remained empty. This concerned Haruka, since Makoto was otherwise punctual when it came to these sorts of things. But he told himself Makoto probably went to bed a bit too late last night and overslept. To wake him and also to make sure nothing more serious was going on, he decided to ring Makoto. The instant he picked up, Haruka knew something was wrong.

"Hello?" Makoto said instead of his usual 'hey, Haru' and his voice sounded nasally and croaky.

"Makoto," Haruka said, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm just… not feeling so well."

"Are you sick?" When Makoto only grunted in response, Haruka made up his mind. "I'm coming over."

"It's fine!" came Makoto's slurred answer. "It's just a cold, don't worry."

But Haruka did worry. This was the first time Makoto got sick since he started living by himself. Now, he was all alone, without his mother giving him medicine and making him broth. Depending on how bad he was feeling, he might not have even been able to fetch himself a glass of water.

"I'll be right there," Haruka said as he turned off the stove. "I'm going to eat my breakfast real quick and then I'm coming."

Before Makoto had the chance to protest further, Haruka hung up. While the rice finished cooking, Haruka emptied his kitchen in search of fresh ingredients to make soup with. Knowing Makoto, he most likely had nothing but microwavable meals and instant ramen. He was pretty sure Mrs. Tachibana stocked up a drawer of his desk with medicine, but he put a bottle of saline nasal spray and cough syrup in his bag anyway, to join the strip of aspirin that permanently resided there.

Once he had packed everything and scarfed down his meal, he went over to the train station with a hurry in his pace. Meanwhile, he sent Asahi a message to let him know Makoto was sick and they wouldn't be coming to Marron later, and asked if he could tell their coaches he was going to be absent for the day.

In less than a few seconds, he got a reply: ' _No worries! I'll take notes for you too, so you take care of Makoto. Tell him to get well soon from Kisumi and me._ '

A tiny smile curled Haruka's lips. Asahi was dependable as always.

The day they moved into their apartments, they switched out their spare keys in case of emergencies. They ended up using them quite liberally, so Haruka didn't think twice before he unlocked Makoto's door and let himself in.

"Makoto?" Haruka called to not spook him. He kicked off his shoes and walked in, straight to the bed where Makoto lied, curled up beneath the duvet. As he expected, aside from the small potted plant, the coffee table was empty. He put his bag down on the floor and gently shook the ball of sheets. "Hey."

A mop of brown hair emerged from the pile and Makoto turned around to face him. His cheeks were blazing red and his green eyes hazy, like they couldn't focus. "Haru?"

Haruka carded his sweat-soaked locks from his forehead. "You're burning up. What are your symptoms? Headache, stuffy nose, sore throat?"

"Yeah."

"Did you take any medication yet?"

"No."

"I'll get you some, then."

When he opened the fridge, he concluded his suspicions were right: inside it lied jars with condiments, a couple of bottles of sports drink, cold tea and water, and some easy-to-grab snacks. Not a trace of anything remotely healthy. Once Makoto was better, this required an intervention.

But for now, he grabbed a water bottle and closed the door without any comments. He popped two pills from the strip and put them on the table.

"Here," Haruka said as he helped Makoto sit upright, then he handed him the meds. "Have you eaten anything yet?"

Makoto shook his head and grimaced as he downed the pill. "I hate these."

"I know," Haruka said, trying his best to suppress a smile. Whenever he was sick, Makoto got so mopey, like a child that wanted to stay up past its bedtime despite nodding off on the couch. It was pretty cute. "But they'll help."

"Yeah," Makoto mumbled as he reluctantly swallowed the second pill, too.

"Do you need anything else? Tissues, nose spray, something for your throat?"

"No, thanks."

"Alright. I'll text one of your friends to let them know you're sick so you go back to sleep. If you need anything, just ask, okay? I'll be in the kitchen."

"Don't you have to go to class?" Makoto said, thick eyebrows contorting in confusion.

"I'm staying here; I won't leave you alone when you're like this," Haruka said and he took the bottle from his hands and put it on the table. "I'm going to make you some soup. I'll wake you when it's done."

"You don't have to do that. I can take care of myself."

"Makoto," Haruka said as he crossed his arms. "You have to eat something with these pills and your cabinets are next to empty. That's not very convincing. I'm staying here until you're better."

"I haven't had time to go to the grocery store yet," Makoto said, but they both knew it was a poor excuse. "Really, I'll be fine. Don't you have more important things to do?"

"Nothing that is more important than you."

The words left him without even realising it. If Makoto had been in any other state, Haruka would probably be embarrassed, but chances were Makoto wouldn't remember this later anyway.

"Thanks, Haru," Makoto said with a weak smile. "But what if you catch my cold?"

Haruka shrugged. "Then you can nurse me back to health. Now go to sleep already," he said with an amused huff. When Makoto lied back down, Haruka drew the covers up to his chin. "Sleep well and get better soon. You have well wishes from Asahi and Kisumi, too."

"Tell them I said thanks," Makoto mumbled, "Goodnight, Haru-chan. I love you."

"I love you too," Haruka said, and he pressed a kiss to Makoto's head.

It didn't take more than three seconds before Makoto's breathing grew heavier and he dozed off. Although it was sad to see him so under the weather, Haruka was glad he was here with him. School and swim practice could handle a few days without him. Now, the most important task for him to focus on was to get the soup boiling, and hopefully, Makoto would feel a bit better after eating it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	8. First Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,264  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Childhood Memories

After a particularly exhausting training session with Coach Azuma, Haruka was relieved to finally drop his bag in the genkan. Makoto was already home, sitting on the bed with folded legs, faced away from the door. Haruka's heart swelled with fondness when he saw him.

"I'm home," he said as he took off his shoes, but when he didn't receive a response, he frowned. Was Makoto wearing earphones or had he simply not heard him?

Deciding to surprise him, Haruka tip-toed over to the bed and hugged Makoto from behind, wrapping his arms around his neck.

"Haru!" Makoto yelped and he dropped his phone on his lap. "You scared me!"

"I did call out to you, but you didn't reply."

"Sorry, I didn't hear." Makoto turned his head and pressed a kiss to Haruka's cheek. "Welcome home."

Haruka smiled and seized the opportunity for a proper kiss. This was what he looked forward to all day, so he made sure to savour the feeling of Makoto's lips sliding over his oh so tenderly. Once satisfied, he leaned his chin on Makoto's shoulder. "So, what are you looking at that's more interesting than me?"

"Also you," Makoto giggled as he picked his phone back up and showed Haruka the screen. It was a picture of the two of them together as toddlers, their little hands and faces covered in fingerpaint. "My mom was clearing out the attic earlier and she found all of my baby picture albums, so she scanned them and uploaded them on the drive."

"Oh," Haruka said, releasing his hold on Makoto to sit down beside him. "Show me."

Backing out to the previous screen, Makoto scrolled up to the start of the file and selected the first picture: a tiny baby with one thin strip of hair on his head, lying inside his mother's arms in the hospital. Mrs. Tachibana was smiling brightly, but her eyes conveyed immense fatigue. She once told him Makoto's labour had taken nearly twenty-eight hours and that was clearly visible on her face.

"This was taken right after I was born," Makoto said as if Haruka couldn't tell, "My very first picture."

"You look like a potato."

"Hey!"

"What?" Haruka shrugged, "You look good now, but there you looked like a potato."

"I guess you have a point." Makoto chuckled. "Most of these early pictures all look the same, so I'll go through them quickly to spare your eyes."

Judging by the number of pictures there were, it was clear Mr. and Mrs. Tachibana were very excited about their baby and were determined to capture every yawn and giggle. Not that he expected anything less of them.

"How long did it take your mom to scan all of these?"

"All day," Makoto said, "She started this morning and only got through a few albums. She hasn't even gotten to my third birthday yet, let alone the birth of the twins and all their albums."

"Sounds like she's going to have her work cut out for her the next couple of weeks."

"Yeah, but she's determined. She wants to make sure our pictures are always saved somewhere else, in case a fire or something like that happens."

That wasn't a bad idea. Living in the digital age, Haruka hadn't thought twice about his baby pictures and how they weren't stored in multiple places. It would be a shame if all those pictures, including ones of his grandma, would be lost. He wasn't sure whether his parents took the old family albums with them to Hokkaido or not, so he'd have to check when his mom called. Otherwise, their next trip to Iwatobi would probably look a whole lot different.

They flew through the first year of Makoto's life. With every picture, Makoto's cheeks grew a bit chubbier and his hair fuller, and after a couple of months, he started to look like himself: like the cute little kid that would soon become Haruka's very best friend.

Then, after Makoto's second New Year's and the shrine visit, spring came and with it, a flood of memories. The Tachibanas packed up all their stuff in their tiny apartment and moved into their house in Iwatobi. There were no pictures of what happened right afterwards, but Haruka vaguely remembered it.

By the hand, his mother led him down the stairs, to the house beneath theirs that was previously vacant. A new family had moved in, so they had to be polite and welcome them to town. His father told him he saw the new family had a little boy around his age and claimed he was sure Haruka and he would become best friends. Back then, his dad had no clue how right he would be.

When they entered the garden, a large man was walking towards the moving truck, but he stopped and smiled when he saw their family. He introduced himself and called over his wife and their son to come meet the new neighbours.

That was the first time he saw Makoto; on his mother's arm, clutching her pink sweater in his pudgy fist, large green eyes filled with wonder.

"This was right before we first met," Haruka said when the picture on Makoto's screen showed him sitting among the boxes in their living room. "You were wearing these dungarees."

"Really? I'm surprised you remember that."

"Our moms love to tell this story, so I'm not sure if I actually remember it or if I've just been told so many times that I think I remember it," Haruka said, smiling as he studied little Makoto's bright grin. "You were so happy and bubbly, yet when your mom took you to meet my parents, you were trying to hide in your mom's chest. It wasn't until you saw me that you showed your face."

Makoto smiled too. "I was shy back then. Meeting new people is scary."

"You weren't scared of me, though."

"How could I ever be scared of you?" Makoto said, "I already knew back then that you would be my best friend, the person I would love the most." Makoto continued swiping through the album and a handful of photos later, Haruka made his first appearance. They were sitting on the couch together, mouths full of cookie crumbs. "And we've been inseparable ever since."

Haruka couldn't help but mirror Makoto's expression. "Who would've guessed back then that we would be here two decades later?"

"Me," Makoto said, "I always knew we would stay together, no matter what."

"Is that so?"

"Hm. I knew that nothing could ever happen that would make me want to stop being with you."

Heat rushed to Haruka's cheeks and he averted his eyes. How could Makoto say these things so casually, without a blink or a stutter? "Idiot."

"I mean it," Makoto said as he put his phone down beside him and wrapped his arms around Haruka's body. "I loved you then, I love you now, and I'll love you every day yet to come."

His tone was a bit teasing, like he purposely wanted to embarrass him, but that didn't make the sentiment any less genuine. "I love you too," Haruka said, and before Makoto could say more things that made him want to run out the door and jump into the nearest pond, he pressed a long, silencing kiss against Makoto's lips.

Two decades worth of memories were stored not just in photo albums and on their phones, but also in their hearts. They would continue to make more memories together in all the years yet to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	9. Baking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,141  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff

Flour, yeast, water, salt, sugar, and love. All the ingredients were set out on the clean countertop - and held in their fingertips - beside the required baking utensils, but one thing was missing: Makoto's confidence.

"Are you sure we'll be able to pull this off?" he asked as Haruka fastened the green apron at the small of his back. "I've only just mastered toast, eggs and bacon. Don't you think homemade bread is a bit too advanced for me?"

"You worry too much. I'm here to help, aren't I? Or rather, you're here to help me," Haruka said as he put on his own apron. "If you follow my directions, you should be fine. This recipe uses both salt and sugar though, so be careful not to mix them up."

"I've learned my lesson: salt is in the shaker, sugar in the pot," Makoto recited what Haruka drilled in him after his previous blunder. Although he was certain he wouldn't mess that up again, that didn't mean there weren't heaps of other mistakes waiting to be made.

When Haruka asked him this morning if he wanted to try to bake a loaf of bread using his grandmother's recipe, he'd been pretty excited. Grandma Nanase's fresh bread was always a delight and he had fond memories of eating it together with her and Haruka on the porch as the cherry blossoms whirled on the breeze. But now they were about to begin, his enthusiasm had turned into apprehension.

His hesitancy didn't go unnoticed and Haruka sighed. "If you're scared you'll get the measurements wrong, I'll take care of that. You can knead the dough."

Haruka added the yeast and a pinch of sugar to a bowl of warm water. That was all he did and Makoto frowned.

"Shouldn't you add the rest too?"

Haruka shook his head. "Wait until it bubbles."

"Ah," Makoto said, glad Haruka was here to guide him. If he were left to his devices, he would put everything in at once and start kneading immediately. It was clear Haruka was the true chef between the two of them, while Makoto was a novice at best.

Soon, small pockets of air formed on the surface and Makoto watched with wonder as Haruka poured the flour, salt and a couple of teaspoons of sugar into the mixture. Then he handed him the wooden spoon. "Keep stirring this while I add more flour."

Makoto did as he was told, afraid to stir too hard and spill half of the contents over the rim.

"You can be a bit more rough," Haruka said, "This isn't an egg."

"Haha," Makoto said sarcastically, but he picked up the pace anyway. Accidentally smash one egg to pieces when trying to make an omelette roll and your boyfriend never let you live it down.

The mixture slowly turned solid and once the sticky dough had Haruka's seal of approval, he dusted the countertop in a coating of flour and dumped the dough on top of it.

"Now knead it. You don't have to be gentle with this either, because it won't explode like a carrot or a tomato if you use too much force."

"Can we stop using my past cooking failures as examples?"

Haruka tried his best to maintain a stoic expression, but a hint of a smirk played at his lips. "Past mistakes are a good learning reference."

Makoto rolled his eyes and briefly considered flicking flour at Haruka, but he wanted to keep the atmosphere light. If Haruka got annoyed at him for real, they would never finish this bread.

"You're pretty good at this," Haruka said as Makoto tugged at and folded the dough over and over.

"Really?"

"Hm. It's probably because you have such big hands," he said, "It's good to know that if your career as a swim coach flops, you could be a bread-kneader at a bakery. As long as you don't touch anything else."

Makoto had a hard time deciding what part of that remark to get the most offended by. "Why would my career flop?" he settled on. If Haruka could tease him, then he could jab back. "The only reason I can imagine is if I get assigned disobedient swimmers."

"If you give bad instructions, anyone would disobey you."

"When have I ever given bad instructions?" Makoto asked, stilling his hands on the dough to shoot Haruka an incredulous look. "My backstroke instructions were super helpful when you were training for the individual medley, you said so yourself!"

"Fair enough," Haruka said, "Now keep kneading, otherwise this bread will never be done. I'll let you know when you can stop."

"Yes, yes."

After a few more minutes of thorough kneading, Haruka gave the green light. He put the ball of dough into a greased bowl and covered it with saran wrap.

"Now what?" Makoto asked as he began to clean off the counter, but Haruka stopped him.

"Don't clean it up yet, we'll still need some flour later," Haruka said, "Now we wait until the dough rises. It'll take about two hours, but we'll have to check in regularly. If it's gotten twice as big, it's good. Then you can punch the dough and put it in the form. After about another hour, it's ready to go into the oven."

"That's a lot of waiting," Makoto said in surprise.

"You need to be patient. The result will be worth it."

"I know, but next time, let's make brownies. They don't take even half this long to make."

Haruka snorted. "You just want to lick the spoon, don't you?"

"That's what makes baking fun."

"You've grown so much, but on the inside, you're still a child," he said with a shake of his head. "You're going to get sick one day."

"Nothing you say will ever make me stop licking the spoon," Makoto chuckled as he untied the string at his waist. "Now, what do you want to do to pass time while we wait?"

Haruka quirked one of his eyebrows. "I know," he said, piquing Makoto's interest. He took off his apron and went inside, over to his tv and he grabbed a controller. "Want to play some Deep Sea Crossing?"

"Sure!"

They plopped down on the floor together, backs against Haruka's bed and watched as the game booted up.

"Hey, Haru?"

"Hm?"

"The weather is so nice today, how about we go to the park to eat the bread once it's done baking?"

Haruka smiled. "Sounds great."

They engrossed themselves in the underwater world while the dough kept growing in the kitchen. Eventually, the sweet scent of fresh bread filled Haruka's apartment and before they knew it, they were enjoying slices of Grandma's recipe on a sunlit park bench. Makoto was certain that, with all their effort and love, her culinary legacy would never be lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was inspired by one of the recent Spotlight Color Magazines in which Makoto said Haru and he baked bread together. Cue me googling how to bake bread from scratch, haha.
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	10. First Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,369  
> Tags: Canonverse, Developing Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Fluff, First Kiss, Love Confession

Orange and pink hues intermingled in the evening sky. Leaned against the railing of the balcony, Makoto was surrounded by the light of the setting sun, making his brown locks and tanned skin appear golden. Ethereal, almost. Haruka's stomach fluttered at the sight.

"Here," he said as he held out one of the glasses of tea to him, startling him from his trance.

"Thanks." Makoto offered him a sweet smile, took a sip of his drink, then resumed staring into the distance. Before Haruka had a chance to ask him what was up, he said, "Summer's flown by, hasn't it?"

"Yeah."

Their first summer vacation in Tokyo was drawing to a close and the second term would begin next week. They had a break from their classes, but Makoto's work and Haruka's swim practice continued and therefore, they hadn't been able to go back to Iwatobi. They did have a lot more free time to spend together than usual and Haruka was going to miss being with him so often when they went back to their regularly packed schedules. Not that he would ever admit that.

"These past five months have gone by in the blink of an eye," Makoto said as he put his glass on the railing, "Back in April, everything was so new and frightening, but now I've started to feel at home here."

"Me too."

At first, it was a bit difficult to adjust to the new lifestyle that came with being a university student and an athlete, and being thrown into an unfamiliar environment didn't help either. But throughout every little shift in his universe, Makoto had been there for him. Perhaps not as much in person recently as he would've liked, but always in spirit, a mere phone call away if he needed him. Without that constant support, he probably wouldn't have even tried to think of a dream, let alone follow it.

"So many things have changed," Makoto said, looking back at Haruka with fondness shimmering in his eyes. "But I'm glad we're still the same. Without you, I never would've dared to take such a big, scary step, and I'm grateful you've stuck with me all this time. Thank you, Haru."

Haruka turned his head away and tightened his fingers around the cold glass, condensation droplets clinging to his palms. "We're not the same."

Makoto tilted his head in confusion. "What?"

"We're not the same."

Along with everything else in their lives, their relationship had changed.

Instead of walking to school together every day, they were lucky if their schedules aligned and they could swim together in the morning. During class, Makoto wasn't there to ask the questions he knew Haruka had about the material, to pass him an eraser or to tell him to stop daydreaming and pay attention to the lecture, but he was left to his own devices. And at the end of his laps at practice, he wasn't greeted by a smile and a reached-out hand and Makoto wasn't there to tell him how much his time improved, but he had to pull himself out of the pool.

The air around him was not filled with meaningless chattering about anything that came to Makoto's mind, but solely with beeps of his phone, information Makoto deemed important enough to share with him. During their time apart, their interactions were filtered and although they talked about a lot of things when they were together, it wasn't the same as living each other's experiences.

But most of all, Haruka's feelings weren't the same. In Iwatobi, he never had to look forward to seeing Makoto, because Makoto was always by his side. Never had to be somber when they parted ways at night because they would meet up again the following morning. Never had to long for his presence and now the longing started, it didn't stop. It dug deeper and deeper, spreading through his mind and body until it became ever-present. It opened his eyes to desires he'd been nourishing in his heart for his whole life but hadn't had to face before.

They were still Makoto and Haruka, but they were different. Because Haruka had always loved Makoto, but he hadn't realised what that meant until their worlds were flipped upside down.

Makoto seemed surprised by his statement. Maybe even a bit shocked. That puzzled Haruka. Surely he wasn't the only one who noticed the positive electricity that would buzz through the room when they were alone. The way their bodies were naturally drawn to each other, even if only to brush their shoulders together or put their feet in each other's lap. The palpable tension between them when saying good night at the doorstep, a lingering moment that could be filled by a hug or perhaps something more.

Then, Makoto smiled. There was a knowing glint in his pupils and Haruka was relieved one glance remained enough to understand the other.

"Maybe we aren't the same, but I wouldn't say we have changed either," Makoto said as he straightened his back, "Rather, we've grown? Or evolved?" He paused as he tried to find the right words. "At first, I had no idea what was going on, but not once did I find it strange or uncomfortable. In some way, it felt familiar. Like we're heading somewhere we were always meant to go?"

"Yeah," Haruka said with a small smile. Makoto was usually a pro at putting his feelings into words, but this time even he struggled. That wasn't odd though, because Haruka couldn't begin to voice all the emotions he harboured for Makoto, not with cohesion or finesse.

"Either way, all that matters to me is that we're here together, because I love you so much, Haruka."

The usage of his first name made his cheeks blossom with heat and he averted his eyes. "Me too."

When he was brave enough to look back, Makoto's sweet smile graced his handsome features. Now Makoto had broached the topic, all the hesitation that resided inside Haruka's bones evaporated. The time had come for their relationship to flourish.

Haruka left his glass on the railing and closed the distance between their bodies. Makoto wrapped his arms around his back, pulling him tightly against his chest. This wasn't their first hug in the two decades of their friendship, but it was unlike any other they shared before. It was warm and affectionate and secure, and Haruka felt like he could drown in Makoto's arms and float on this feeling forever. He buried his face in Makoto's neck and because he hadn't properly responded to Makoto's feelings yet, he whispered, "I love you."

Craving more, their gazes met and the air between them was charged like it had been so many times prior, but now, there was only one possible way to dissolve the tension. Haruka could read the yearning he felt in Makoto's eyes, so he let his own slip shut and leaned up to do what he'd been wanting to for months.

Their lips met in a clumsy kiss and it flooded Haruka's heart with joy. Makoto had been right, there was no doubt about it: although he had no idea what he was doing, this was always meant to happen. Makoto's lips were soft and gentle as they pressed against his, but the unsuppressible smile that fought its way to Haruka's mouth made it impossible to explore this amazing sensation further.

With no choice but to give in, Haruka pulled away and allowed himself to smile wholeheartedly. Makoto opened his eyes and mirrored his expression. Although he was already breathtakingly beautiful, there was something about the way the last rays of sunlight showered over him that made him look even more gorgeous than usual. Perhaps it was just the final barrier inside Haruka's heart having been broken down by their kiss, unleashing all his thoughts and feelings for Makoto, uncontainable.

Not a word was spoken, but not a word was necessary. Makoto rested his forehead on his and the contents of Haruka's mind were reflected on his face: nothing could stifle their immense happiness and they were excited to discover everything that came with this new stage in their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	11. Road Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,052  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff

In a loaded rental car, Haruka and Makoto left their Tokyo apartment behind to spend their break in Iwatobi. They had packed their bags the night before and after a hearty breakfast, they crammed everything in the trunk and took off at the brink of dawn. With a couple of pit-stops and possible traffic jams in mind, they hoped to arrive in Iwatobi in the evening.

On any other day, having to get up this early would result in Makoto being drowsy and perhaps a bit cranky. But now, instead of a yawn, he had to suppress a wide grin.

They frequently called and skyped with their family and friends, but he was excited to finally see them again in person. Although Haruka and he had settled in Tokyo and felt at home there, Iwatobi would always remain their home as well and Makoto would keep missing the presence of their loved ones whenever they were apart. Therefore, he couldn't wait until they were in Iwatobi and this part of their trip couldn't be over soon enough.

Alas, not his entire body agreed with him.

"Haru…" Makoto said carefully, afraid of Haruka's reaction.

"What?" Haruka said, not taking his eyes off the road.

"I… have to go to the bathroom."

As expected, an exasperated sigh left Haruka's lips. "Already? We left twenty minutes ago. Didn't you go at home?"

"I did! I just have to go again. I think it's because I can't go whenever I want, my bladder is nervous."

"I'll pull over at the next gas station, but at this rate we'll have to turn around the instant we're in Iwatobi if we want to get back before the end of our break."

"Sorry. I'll be quick and that's the last stop for the next few hours, I promise. We can stock up on snacks while we're there. I'll treat you to whatever you want to make up for it."

"I made us lunch back at home, so I don't need any snacks," Haruka said, glancing over at him from the corner of his eye. "If you really want to make it up to me, get your license so we can switch next time."

Feeling called out, Makoto twiddled with his thumbs and said, "I'm planning to, but I've been so busy lately-"

"Stop with the excuses," Haruka cut in, "You're scared, aren't you?"

As always, Haruka saw right through him. Guilt shot through his veins and dwelled in the pit of his stomach. "Sorry, Haru. I want to get my license, I really do, but I am scared. Just thinking of all the accidents I could cause…"

"You worry too much," Haruka said, "I could cause an accident too, yet you're sitting in the car with me now."

"Yeah, but do you remember how long it took me to sit back without gripping at my seatbelt for dear life?"

"Fair enough," Haruka gave in as he let go of the stick to put his hand on Makoto's instead. "It is scary at first, but you'll get used to it. Accidents can happen at any time, but I know you'd be very careful and would never drive recklessly."

"I wouldn't, but other people do. Someone else can cause an accident I'm involved in."

"But that can happen at any time, even if you're walking on the pavement or crossing the street. That's not something you're constantly worried about when you're not in a car."

"You're right," Makoto admitted, "I can't keep postponing it forever just because I'm scared. I'll have to do it eventually, so better sooner than later. I don't want to put all the pressure on you to drive us whenever we go somewhere."

"I don't mind driving us, but it's good to have your license in case something happens," Haruka said, squeezing his fingers lightly, "I'll be with you the entire time, and if you're still too scared to drive afterwards, then I'll be your chauffeur."

A smile curled Makoto's lips. Haruka was so considerate of him and even if he complained about it, he complied with all Makoto's wishes. Whenever he set his mind to conquering his fears, Haruka was there to hold his hand and guide him through the darkness. And even if that wouldn't completely eradicate the anxiety that would clutch at his throat and make his limbs quiver, it did give him the courage to face them again and again. It was like that with the water and the ocean, so Makoto was confident it would be like that when it came to driving too.

"Thank you, Haru," Makoto murmured and he leaned over to press a kiss against Haruka's cheek. "I know I can always count on you."

The skin underneath his lips rapidly flushed an adorable pink, and Makoto had to bite back a giggle at the sight of it. After all this time, even the slightest tokens of appreciation could catch Haruka off guard. It was pretty cute.

"There's a gas station over there," Haruka said as he pointed at a sign in the distance, probably grateful for the opportunity to change the subject. "We can stop there."

"Why?"

Haruka whipped his head around and shot him the biggest frown. "Don't you have to pee?"

That was right. All this talk about driving and accidents distracted him, but his bladder was about to burst. "I do."

"If you forgot then you probably don't need to go that badly, so I'm not pulling over."

"No, Haru, I do need to go!" Makoto said, but then he saw the hint of a smirk at the corner of Haruka's mouth. "Don't tease me and just go."

Haruka didn't say a word, but did flip the turn signal and took the exit towards the gas station. The scent of gasoline had never smelled so much like relief before.

It would be hours before they reached Iwatobi, but maybe the journey wouldn't be as tedious as Makoto expected. Their destination was the pot of gold, but perhaps the way there could be a rainbow: the view of Mount Fuji and the ocean was amazing and the company was even better. Out of anyone in the world, there was no one Makoto would rather be stuck in a car with for this long than with Haruka.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	12. Enchanted Forest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,799  
> Tags: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Human!Makoto, Elf!Haru, First Meeting, Magic, Fluff

Tired and worn-out from his travels, Makoto weaved through the dark woods in search of a place to camp out for the night. Preferably at a river or a creek, somewhere he could refill his flasks and wash his face. His horse was starting to lose speed, so hopefully, he would find a good spot before she had to give in to exhaustion.

Then, the sound of running water drowned out the symphony of owls and crickets. He followed it and to his delight, he stumbled upon a glade at the bottom of a cliff. A pristine waterfall cascaded down the rocks, flowing down into a moderately-sized lake.

Relief engulfed Makoto from within and he leapt off his horse, guiding her over to the edge of the lake so she could drink from it. He kneeled and peered into the water. Moonlight shimmered on the surface, illuminating every droplet. Never before had Makoto seen such clean water; there were no fish or algae in the lake, not as much as a leaf or a branch floating down the stream or caught on the sides. It seemed almost divine and the mere sight of it made his scratchy throat even drier.

He cupped his hands and let the water flood his palms, gratefully drinking as much as he could get. The water tasted even better than it looked, fresh and crisp like it rejuvenated him from the inside.

Once he'd quenched his thirst, Makoto checked the trees to see if anyone was around. When he was sure the coast was clear, he disrobed himself and dove into the water headfirst.

When he broke through the surface, he felt reborn. The fatigue and strain of his travels slipped off him, leaving nothing but contentment and serenity in his heart. Although he was miles removed from home, Makoto had never felt quite as comfortable as he did within this lake.

Alas, this feeling did not last.

A shadow moved behind the waterfall and Makoto let out a strangled screech, hastily covering his nude chest. Through the stream emerged a man, someone whose presence he hadn't noticed before.

Fear spread through Makoto's body like he'd been hit with a poison-tipped arrow; he was alone in the dark forest in a rather compromising position. Even if he hadn't been, he was not exactly the type suited for combat anyway and he saw no opportunity to make a quick escape.

But when the man stepped forward and the moonlight showered over his face, Makoto's fear evaporated.

Long, dark robes that reached down to the ground were wrapped around his slender body. Pointed ears poked through a curtain of dark hair, framing his small face. His features were soft and elegant and his pale skin contrasted the darkness of the night. But the most mesmerising parts of him were his eyes, blue and piercing. Like he could peer straight into the past, present and future.

Elves were rumoured to be gorgeous and although Makoto had never seen one in person, he was certain this man was among the most beautiful in their entire species. His appearance made him forget about the world around him, enchanted by a single glance.

But then, the elf's expression shifted, from neutral to confused. Or rather, shocked.

"Who are you?" he said, and despite the vibrant distress in his tone, his voice had a calming effect on Makoto. "How did you find this place?"

"Oh, um I," Makoto stuttered, unsure which question to answer first. "I was looking for a place to rest for the night. I heard the waterfall, so I followed the sound and it brought me here."

"Impossible."

"Sorry, am I not supposed to be here?" Perhaps he was trespassing on elven territory without his awareness. "If that's the case, I'll leave immediately. I don't mean to cause any trouble."

The elf seemed to be at a loss for words and the uncomfortable, misplaced feeling in Makoto's stomach grew.

"The water…" the elf said after a brief pause, "did you drink from it?"

"Yeah," Makoto said, cowering into himself like he was being scolded by his mother. "My horse did, too. Is that bad?"

A loud groan left the elf's lips and before Makoto could blink, his robes were flying through the air and water splashed upwards, sending ripples of waves throughout the lake. He emerged right in front of Makoto's nose, shaking the beads from his hair.

It startled Makoto and heat warmed his cheeks when he realised how clear the water was and how he was still very much naked. The look inside the elf's eyes was fierce and sharp and Makoto wasn't quite sure whether he should be embarrassed or scared.

"Listen, if I did something that I shouldn't have, then I sincerely apologise," Makoto said, frantically waving his hands as if to prove his innocence. "Please believe me when I say that I had no ill intentions. I just wanted to wash up and fill my flasks, I meant no harm."

After another second of staring in scrutiny, the elf relented. "I believe you. What's your name?"

"Makoto. And yours?"

"I'm Haruka. Haru," the elf said. "Say, Makoto, you have no idea where you are, do you?"

"Not a clue." Makoto sheepishly rubbed at the back of his neck.

"This is the Sacred Moon Spring. Every droplet of this spring has been infused with ancient magic and every full moon, its magical properties are replenished and the water is at its most powerful." Haruka looked up at the sky and Makoto followed his line of vision; the moon was large and round, standing out brightly between the trees.

This was not good. No wonder he felt so refreshed. "We drank from the sacred, magic water…" Makoto stated the obvious. "So, what happens now?"

"I don't know. My clan has been guarding this spring for centuries, but no human has ever come near here, let alone drank from the water," Haruka said, "To be honest, I'm not sure how you even found this place. There's a protective spell around this area, a barrier that's supposed to keep all non-elven creatures out. Not even birds or deer can pass through."

"Oh," Makoto said, drawing circles on the surface with his fingers, "Well, there's this story in my family that my mother's great-great-grandmother was a Woodland Elf, but I always thought that was just a tale. Do you think it could be true?"

Haruka shrugged. "I guess it is. I don't have any other explanation why you would be allowed to pass through. The barrier must've detected elven blood in you."

"But there's so much more human blood in me, and I don't look like an elf at all."

"You don't," Haruka said as he took a step closer. "But your eyes do."

Makoto frowned. "My eyes?"

"Hm. They're… vibrant." When Haruka noticed how close he'd gotten and how breathy his voice had been, he blushed all the way up to his ears and increased the distance between their bodies. The pink hue looked immensely cute against his pearly skin. He coughed and tried to regain his aloof demeanour. "So, I suppose you are a descendent of a Woodland Elf."

"But what about my horse? I don't think she had a great-great-grandmother who was an elf."

"Were you riding her when you arrived here?" When Makoto nodded, Haruka said, "Then that's why. You lead her here, and your authority granted her permission to pass through, too."

That did make sense, as much as any of this magical spring situation could. Maybe there was an off chance he had bumped his head against a low hanging branch and was hallucinating, or maybe he fell asleep beneath a willow and this was all a dream. But was his simple mind truly capable of conjuring up something so fantastical, or someone as beautiful as Haruka?

Ashamed of his thoughts, Makoto said, "If I'm not supposed to be here, then I shall leave. I wouldn't want to disturb the balance of this place."

"You can stay, if you'd like," Haruka said, brushing his fringe back to appear nonchalant, "if the barrier let you through, then I see no reason to reject your presence."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose on this sacred place. If there's a barrier to keep humans out, then I can't imagine it's okay for a human to bathe himself in this water."

"As the guardian of this sacred place, I'm sure," Haruka said, "To be honest with you, no one is allowed to touch this water with their bare hands, not even I. It's used in important rituals in my clan."

"Then I should get out! I'm so sorry," Makoto said in a combination of disbelief and panic; Haruka didn't seem to care, but the last thing he wanted was to be struck with an elven curse if anyone else found out.

A hand on his shoulder held him back. It was small and felt cold, yet it also emitted a strange sort of heat.

"You already touched it and drank from it, so I don't see why I would send you away now. The water is already contaminated, and truthfully, it was long before you even got here."

"What do you mean?"

"How could I guard such a beautiful spring without going for a swim every night? There truly is no water like it." For a second, a hint of an adorable smile was visible on Haruka's face before he let himself fall backwards underwater and Makoto couldn't help but laugh. Haruka was the first elf he'd ever met and a rather odd one at that, but Makoto had an inkling they were going to get along very well.

All throughout the night, Makoto stayed inside the spring and talked with Haruka while floating beside him. They discussed their everyday lives, Makoto's family and his apprenticeship at a blacksmith a couple of towns away from his home, Haruka's clan and their traditions - and Haruka's disinterest in adhering to them -, how Haruka became the guardian of the spring and what effects the water could possibly have on Makoto and his horse.

The hours flew by and Makoto completely lost himself in their conversations and in Haruka. He didn't sleep a wink, but the water energised him like no amount of rest could and there was nothing that could whisk him away from this place. That wasn't because of elven magic, though, but because of Haruka. Makoto's suspicions were confirmed; Haruka turned out to be just as beautiful on the inside as he was on the outside.

Many things about his future were uncertain now, but there was one thing Makoto knew for sure: this would not be the last night Haruka and he spent together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea for this fic is one I've had for a while now and I actually started to write a fic for it about a year and a half ago, but I wrote about 1k words and then never went back to it, haha. Although I changed a lot of things and rewrote it completely, I'm glad I finally had the chance to bring this idea to life, so I hope you enjoyed it too!
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	13. Moving In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,129  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, References to Sexual Content

When Makoto moved into his Tokyo apartment, he hadn't expected he'd be packing everything back up to move again a year later. And yet, as a dozen boxes were strewn around his room, that was exactly what he was doing.

Finally, his leasing period had ended and Haruka and he would live together. From now on, they would see each other every single day without fail, no matter how busy they got. Waking up side by side and falling asleep in each other's arms would no longer be reserved for the weekends alone, and to top it off, their rent would go down by a half.

Moving in together was the most logical decision in every aspect and in hindsight, they should've made it last year when they first arrived in Tokyo. But Makoto had already signed his contract by the time Haruka told him he accepted a scholarship from Hidaka and for some reason, he hadn't dared to ask Haruka if he wanted to move in with him. Something held him back, an inexplicable feeling that muddled his thoughts and rationale when it came to Haruka, so he kept his mouth shut.

When their love for each other came to light, the puzzle pieces fell into place. They realised they had been idiots because truthfully, Haruka wanted to live together from the start as well but didn't dare to broach the subject either. It was a couple of months too soon to get out of their contracts, but their epiphanies about their mutual feelings shouldn't have come any later because they'd been floating on a cloud ever since.

The choice of whose apartment to live in had been an easy one, as Makoto's work was a stone's throw away from Haruka's place. In the mornings, they would often go to the pool together to swim a couple of laps, so his commute to Meijo Chuo barely extended. Even if it would've cost him a lot more time to get to his university, he'd get up at five o'clock if it meant he could be with Haruka. And Makoto despised getting up early.

With a smile, he wrapped the frame with the picture of Ran, Ren and himself with protective foil and put it in a box. That was the last item from his desk, so he taped the box shut and looked up at Haruka, who was clearing out his kitchen.

"Do you need some help with that?"

Haruka peered back over his shoulder and scoffed. "With packing up your two plates and three cups? I think I can manage."

The snarky comment made Makoto grin. "With our kitchenware combined, we'll have four plates and six cups."

"We'll be invincible at an all you can eat, bring your own plate buffet."

Makoto laughed and hugged Haruka from behind. "I'm so glad this day has finally come. I've been looking forward to it, you know?"

"Have you now?" Haruka asked, bundling up Makoto's cutlery with a rubber band and he put it in the box labelled 'kitchen'.

"Hm. It might be a bit cramped at first, though, the two of us in your apartment."

" _Our_ apartment," Haruka corrected, covering Makoto's hands on his waist with his own, "I think we'll be fine. We're over at each other's places all the time anyway and that hasn't caused any problems before."

"You're right, being with you only has pros," Makoto said, leaning in to steal a kiss from Haruka's lips.

Haruka hummed in agreement and delight. "If you get on my nerves, I'll kick you out for the night," he said with a smirk.

"Hey! You said it would be _our_ apartment. You can't just kick me out like that!"

"That shouldn't be an issue as long as you stay off my nerves." Haruka turned around and encircled Makoto's neck with his arms and kissed him again, deep and tender.

"I guess I shouldn't throw out the futon yet, just in case."

"Speaking of the futon, did you already pack it?" Haruka asked, eyes hooded with wanton. "Do you think we have some time left to properly say goodbye to this apartment?"

Makoto liked where this was going. "We still have some things to pack, but if we're quick…"

Haruka didn't need to be told twice. He crashed their lips together in a hungry kiss, sliding his fingers into Makoto's hair.

This was not in the planning at all, but Makoto would be lying if he said he minded it. If this sensual exchange hadn't gotten him excited, then the thought that surprises like this would occur more often now they were going to live together would've done the job.

He grabbed ahold of Haruka's thighs and lifted him onto the counter, and Haruka wasted not a second before pulling their bodies flush together. Makoto's hands found their way under Haruka's shirt and when Haruka was unbuckling Makoto's belt, his phone beeped on the table.

A frustrated groan left Haruka's throat and Makoto regretfully pulled away. In any other case, he would never let their passion be interrupted by a text, but the situation was different now. Asahi and Kisumi had offered to help with the move and they went to borrow a van from Kisumi's uncle. They said they would let them know when they were almost there.

One glance at his screen confirmed his suspicions. "It's from Asahi. He says Kisumi and he will be here in five minutes."

Haruka pouted. "Can we still finish this?"

"Sorry, Haru-chan. I can do quick, but not five minutes, clean up and cool down included."

With an audible huff, Haruka jumped off the counter and grumbled under his breath. "That guy always ruins everything."

"He's helping us out," Makoto said, smiling at Haruka's chagrin. "Do you know how much money he saved us by borrowing the van from Shigino-san?"

"He could've taken a bit longer."

"Then you would've complained about him dawdling too much," Makoto chuckled and he pocketed his phone, then his arms sought out Haruka's waist again. "It sucks to be interrupted, but think of this positively: the sooner we're done here, the sooner we'll be living together and from then on, we'll have a lot more time. We can try out our new bed. Without interruptions."

"Fine," Haruka said with a quirk of his eyebrow, "But I won't forget about this. You'll owe me."

"I promise I'll make it up to you," Makoto said and he planted a kiss on the tip of Haruka's nose.

And that promise was kept. Later that night, when their friends said their goodbyes and the door clicked shut, Haruka nearly tackled Makoto and pinned him to the mattress.

Their new bed, along with their new living situation, instantly received their seal of approval.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	14. Emergency

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,622  
> Tags: Alternate Universe - Future Fish, Firefighter!Makoto, Baker!Haru, Fluff, Light Angst, Acquaintances to Lovers

The second Makoto was about to sink his teeth into the chocolate cornet he bought at the bakery this morning, the signal went off. He dropped his lunch to the table and sped downstairs on muscle memory alongside his colleagues. They slipped on their protective suits and leapt into the truck. With blaring sirens, they rushed to the fire in the hopes of putting it out before it got out of hand.

Over the past year he spent as a firefighter, Makoto had grown accustomed to this. Although he'd been quite panicky at his first couple of fires, that quickly had to change in order to protect not just himself, but also his colleagues and their community. The reason he aspired for this profession was to keep people from harm's way, so he had developed the cool, level-headed demeanour this job required.

But this fire was different. The moment he heard where they were headed, blue eyes flashed through his mind and the anxiety crawled back with a vengeance, adrenaline levels spiking.

Every morning before work, Makoto visited Nanase's Baked Goods and Pastries, a small family bakery located on a street corner between a florist and a clothing store. The bread and sweets they sold were absolutely delicious, so he got both his breakfast and lunch there - and sometimes, an extra muffin as a treat. But now, this routine was endangered.

While the others voiced worries of the fire expanding to the stores beside it, Makoto was more concerned about the kind lady behind the register who always rang him up with a smile and the baker around his age who solely came out of the back to restock the shelves. The thought of anyone being hurt in a fire was awful, but especially if it were people he knew, or who he frequently saw but hadn't had the pleasure to get to know yet.

Makoto clenched his fists and willed himself to calm down. He needed to be ready to come to their aid if necessary. Collected and focused.

The fire truck arrived at the scene in record time, for the bakery was only a few blocks removed from the station. A large cloud of smoke wafted from the shop, but flames didn't lick out of the windows. Maybe it wasn't too late to prevent escalation.

The firefighters leapt out of the truck and, after assessing the situation, began to hose down the building. Along with one of his colleagues, Makoto went over to the small crowd of people that were gathered at a safe distance from the toxic fumes. His heart sighed in relief when he spotted Mrs. Nanase among them, but her face was contorted with fear and she clutched at her chest. That was when he realised the young baker wasn't beside her.

"Is anyone still inside?"

"My son, Haruka," Mrs. Nanase said, "He yelled at me to go and I thought he was following me out. It wasn't until I got outside that I saw he wasn't with me. I wanted to go back to get him but-"

There was no more time to waste. Makoto and his colleague put on their masks and entered the bakery. The front of the store was clear, but the door to the back was slid shut and smoke emerged from the crevices. When they opened it, they were hit with a thick wall of ash clinging to the air and could barely peer into the kitchen.

Through squinted eyes, Makoto could make out the source of the fire: one of the large ovens was engulfed in orange and yellow flames, blackening the heat-resistant metal. But he didn't see Haruka anywhere.

"Haruka! Are you here?"

A small cough broke through the crackling and Makoto's eyes scanned every corner of the room. Someone was lying on the floor next to an extinguisher, face covered with their shirt and Makoto dropped to his knees. When they cracked open an eye, Makoto confirmed it was Haruka; he'd recognise those immensely blue irises anywhere.

"I found him," Makoto said to his colleague and he scooped the baker off of the floor. "I've got you," he told Haruka, who gripped onto him for dear life and buried his face into his large coat, trying to stifle more coughs.

While his colleague confirmed there was no one else inside, Makoto took Haruka out of the danger zone, out of the claws of the smoke and blaze.

An ambulance had appeared in the meanwhile and he carried Haruka to it. The instant she spotted them, Mrs. Nanase ran over to her son, crying out his name and thanking Makoto profusely for rescuing him.

Makoto would've loved to stay and make sure Haruka was alright, but duty called. He flew back to the truck and grabbed a hold of a hose to assist his fellow firefighters in securing the perimeter.

The fire was resilient but not as powerful as initially seemed. They had responded quickly, before the fire had taken over the entire kitchen and had it under control about an hour later. When his colleagues assured him they could handle it from there, Makoto went back to the ambulance.

Haruka sat at the rear end with his legs dangling over the edge, wrapped up in a blanket and sipping on a bottle of water. A weight was lifted off Makoto's shoulders at the sight of him: he seemed to be doing okay. His mother stood by his side, but when she saw Makoto walking over to them, she approached him first.

"I never knew you were a firefighter," she said, then she bowed so deeply her long dark locks nearly swept across the floor. "Thank you so much for saving my son. I'll forever be grateful to you."

"Thank you, Nanase-san, but that's not necessary at all. I'm simply doing my job," Makoto said with a smile. This was the most rewarding part of his work: not being thanked, but knowing he made a difference.

Mrs. Nanase copied his smile and said, "I'll leave you two alone for a moment." She winked and before Makoto's blood had the chance to rush to his face, she was gone.

Makoto stepped closer to Haruka, but despite having had conversations similar to this a dozen times prior, he found himself at a loss for words. On numerous occasions, he had thought about making small talk with the handsome baker, but he never imagined that the first time they would speak to each other would be in a situation like this.

"You're the man who saved me," Haruka said, voice a bit croaky because of the smoke he inhaled. "Thanks. I suppose I owe you a lifetime's worth of pastries now."

"That's not necessary at all, I'm simply doing my job," Makoto said again, awkwardly waving his hands.

"Heroic deeds deserve rewards, don't they?"

"Knowing you're alright is enough of a reward for me."

The instant the words left his lips, Makoto wanted to tape himself up into a box and ship it to the other side of the country. Before he could begin to apologise, though, Haruka smiled. It was tiny, a slight twitch of the corners of his mouth, but it was definitely there and Makoto's chest filled with warmth. He spontaneously forgot what he was feeling embarrassed about.

"What's your name?"

"Makoto. Tachibana Makoto," he said, smiling a little too, "And yours?"

When Haruka frowned at him, he realised his mistake. "It's Haruka. Nanase Haruka," he spelled out and for a second, it was as though Makoto could read his mind. Idiot, it said. "But Haru is fine."

Makoto would've loved to chat about more nonsensical things and embarrass himself even further, but there were some important matters that needed to be addressed. "Say, Haru, what happened in there? Why didn't you follow your mom out?"

Haruka averted his eyes, fingers fumbling around his bottle. "One of the ovens suddenly malfunctioned and caught on fire. It was pretty small, so I thought I could put it out myself. I closed all the doors and windows to stop oxygen from getting to it, but when I tried to use the fire extinguisher, it didn't work. The smoke built up quickly and it was very disorienting. Before I knew it, I couldn't find the door anymore," he mumbled under his breath. "I'm sorry for the trouble I caused."

Makoto shook his head. "It was brave of you to try to put out the fire yourself, but it can be dangerous. Fire can spread really fast and inhaling a lot of smoke is bad, so for your own safety, it's better to get out of there when you can if the fire is too big to manage. I understand the bakery is very important to you, but nothing is more important than your life."

"You're right. I'll leave the extinguishing up to you professionals from now on," Haruka said, "Again, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, your intentions weren't bad," Makoto said with a slight smile, "But from now on, I'll take care of the fires if you take care of the baking. Because that is something I better stay away from for my own safety."

"Deal," Haruka said, but then he looked away again, abashed, "And maybe I can cook you dinner sometime too? To thank you for saving me."

An adorable pink blush lit up Haruka's cheeks and Makoto's stomach made a backflip of giddiness.

"I'd like that a lot," Makoto said, and he already couldn't wait.

Their dinner date took place the next weekend, and the weekend thereafter, until they ate together almost every day. Although the stove never malfunctioned, Haruka ignited a fire in Makoto's heart that was beyond extinguishing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	15. Stargazing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,064  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Memories

After paying for their meals, Haruka and Makoto exited the ramen joint and embarked on the journey back to their apartment. The sun had been out when they arrived here, but now, a little over an hour later, the sky was dark blue. It was a stark contrast with the hundreds of colourful lights emanated by neon letter signs and billboards. Like the quiet of the night was forcefully disturbed. The streets of Tokyo were always like this, but even after a year and a half, Haruka hadn't grown accustomed to it yet.

"It's starting to get dark outside pretty early, huh?" Makoto said, rubbing his hands together as he stared off into the heavens. When Haruka hummed in response, he smiled. "Walking home like this reminds me of high school, how we'd walk home after class or swim practice."

Warmth flooded Haruka as he thought back on those countless nights. The sound of the waves lapping gently at the shore, the bright moon shining down on them as Makoto talked about nothing in particular, just the two of them. Sometimes, when they weren't ready to part ways yet, they would sit down side by side on the cold sand and gaze at the stars. Neither of them knew anything about astronomy, but they could appreciate the beauty of the various constellations in meaningful silence.

There were so many things Haruka had to say goodbye to when moving from Iwatobi and he knew that, but he hadn't expected he would miss the stars of all things. After all, the universe surrounded them constantly and the stars were ever-present, but the thick smog blanketing the city obscured them. A mere handful were radiant enough to pierce through, to reach them from thousands of kilometers away.

"It's a shame the stars aren't as clearly visible here as in Iwatobi," Makoto said, proving once again he could tell what Haruka was thinking. "The view from my bedroom balcony was amazing at night, wasn't it?"

"From our back porch, too," Haruka said. He couldn't estimate how many summer evenings they spent huddled together and munching on slices of tangerines while his grandmother shared anecdotes of her life and her experiences. "Do you remember what my grandma used to tell us about the stars?"

"They're the light of loved ones who passed," Makoto said, offering him a small smile, "Even if they're not here anymore, they're still with us. Watching over us and keeping us safe."

Haruka nodded. "She always had weird stories like that."

"But it's a nice thought, isn't it? Like that star over there." Makoto pointed in the air at one of the few stars that accompanied the moon. "That could be your grandma. I'm sure that, if she'd be able to, she'd do anything to protect you."

Haruka didn't believe in things like that, but he couldn't help but smile as well. "She'd protect you too. You were like a second grandson to her."

"She was like a grandma to me too," Makoto said with a chuckle, "I think I saw her more often than my own grandmas."

"She was over at my house more often than not, and you were too, so that's not surprising."

She'd been like a second mother to Haruka as well, waiting for Makoto and him to come home from the pool with her sweet homemade bread and grandmotherly advice. Even though it had been more than a decade since her passing, there would forever be a part of Haruka that missed her presence and care.

"I miss her," Makoto voiced his thoughts yet again, then he gestured back toward the sky. "But we'll never forget her. She'll be with us no matter where we go."

At those sweet words, Haruka's smile softened. Would there ever be a situation in which Makoto didn't know the right thing to say? "Yeah."

Maybe his grandmother hadn't become a star, but the stars did bring back fond memories of her. And not only of her, but also of camping trips with his parents, that night at the rest house with Nagisa and Rei, special moments with Makoto and so much more. Even if he couldn't see them as well now, the stars were still there and that made him feel connected to the past and also to the future; to all the memories he hadn't made yet but that would take place beneath the same sky.

"Next time we're in Iwatobi, let's go stargazing again," Makoto said with a glint of excitement in his eyes that rivalled the brightness of sunlight itself, "We can go jogging along the shoreline like we used to in high school, and maybe we can invite our friends too."

While he looked forward to seeing their friends and doing fun things with them, their nightly jogs were something special, something for Makoto and him alone. At least, that was how he viewed it. "We can swim and go out for dinner with our friends, but let's jog by ourselves."

"Alright," Makoto said, "But we don't have to wait to be in Iwatobi to go jogging. The environment and night sky might not be as pretty, but it would be a nice change of pace every once in a while."

That wasn't such a bad idea. There were shifts in their lives that were irreversible, but that didn't mean they couldn't implement more habits they had in Iwatobi into their new routines. "Sounds nice."

"I would suggest going for one right away and running home, but I'm afraid I ate a bit too much." Makoto giggled as he patted his stomach.

Haruka snorted. "We should run before dinner next time."

"Oh, we can jog over to the restaurant. Then we'll be burning the calories before we eat them."

"Doesn't that defeat the purpose of running in the first place?"

"What? We still need to eat so as long as we pick the more healthy options, it's fine," Makoto said with a cheeky grin and Haruka couldn't argue with that logic.

Because they went to different universities, walking back to their apartment together after class wasn't possible anymore. But where they lost old routines, new ones were created. Haruka was glad that, at the end of the day, whether there were a million stars shining brightly in the night sky or just one, they always returned home to each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	16. Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,935  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Friends & Family, Birthday Fluff

With a smile, Makoto waved goodbye to his colleagues and left the building. Haruka had invited him to come over after work, so instead of heading towards the train station, Makoto walked to his apartment with a spring in his step.

On a scale of awful to great, today had been pretty good: his friends and family members sent him messages this morning, some of his university mates treated him to lunch, and the children in his class began to sing for him the second he entered the pool area. Everyone had chipped in to make this day memorable for him, but all the while, he'd been looking forward to seeing Haruka the most.

From back when he was a kid, his birthday was something he always enjoyed immensely. But for the first time in nineteen years, there was a bitter undertone laced throughout the sweet day. It was the first birthday he celebrated in Tokyo, without his family. He woke up without the scent of his mother's special birthday breakfast, without receiving his father's 'you're a man now' speech that he'd been getting since he was ten, without the twins arguing over who drew the prettiest picture and who made the best birthday wish for him.

Occasions like this made him miss them even more than he usually did. He'd known that would happen when he left Iwatobi to pursue his dream and it was a decision he still stood by, but it did make him feel a bit lonely. That was why he was so glad to have Haruka with him: if he were alone, he might've succumbed and given up after a month, fled back to Iwatobi with his tail between his legs. But Haruka brought that little piece of home with him, or rather, anywhere would be home as long as Haruka was there. Even when things got difficult or when homesickness overwhelmed him, Haruka's ever-present support gave him the strength to push through.

Still, it wouldn't feel right to pass this day by without speaking to his family, so maybe he could call them. It was getting pretty late and the twins were probably in bed already, but he hadn't had the time to sit down and chat with them and their parents earlier. He'd make sure to apologise to them during their skype session on the weekend.

A sense of relief washed over him as he grabbed the knob of Haruka's apartment door. Finally, he could hold Haruka in his arms and although every other gesture was nice, that was the only birthday gift he needed.

As he expected, the door wasn't locked but when he swung it open, he frowned. It was pitch black in the apartment. Haruka had to be home because he knew better than to leave his front door unlocked in Tokyo, so something else had to be up. Had he forgotten about his birthday and gone to sleep early?

After contemplating for a second whether or not to turn the light on, he flipped the switch anyway.

"Surprise!"

Makoto's jaw dropped. 'Surprise' was an understatement.

Haruka was very much awake, seated on the floor with a small smile adorning his features. On the table beside him stood his laptop with the screen turned to the entrance, displaying a group call with his parents and the twins, Nagisa, Rei, Gou, Rin, and even Sousuke.

Simultaneously, everyone yelled out a variation of 'happy birthday, Makoto' and tears sprang to his eyes.

"Haru!"

"Happy birthday," Haruka said and he patted the cushion on the floor beside him. "Come sit."

Makoto didn't need to be told twice. He kicked off his shoes and plopped down in front of the laptop, unsure who to greet first.

"Everyone, thank you so much for coming," he settled on, unable to hide his wide grin. "This really means a lot."

"Don't thank us," his mother said and before she could say more, the twins interrupted.

"Yeah, this was Haru-chan's idea!" said Ran, zealously moving closer to the screen in the hopes of being in view better, causing only her bangs and the top of her head to be visible.

"He got us all together." Ren tugged at his sister's arm to get her to sit back down, and their father put a hand on each of their shoulders, a reminder to stay calm.

"Haru," Makoto said again, but when he turned his head to face him, Haruka was no longer sitting next to him. He looked around the apartment and saw him coming from the kitchen with a plate in his hands.

"I didn't have time to bake something myself," Haruka said as he lowered the plate, "But I hope you still like it."

On the porcelain plate lied a brownie with a single lit candle stuck in it, and Makoto instantly recognised it as one from the deluxe bakery near the station. On top of the soft crumbly deliciousness, they also had chunks of chocolate baked through them, which made them even more amazing. "Like it? I love it, but these are so expensive!"

Haruka shrugged. "It's your birthday, so I got a whole box."

Before Makoto could open his mouth for more protests, Haruka sent a look through the webcam and in unison, everyone began to sing 'Happy Birthday' in varying degrees of English proficiency.

The lump in Makoto's throat returned, and he couldn't do anything but sit back and smile brightly at his wonderful friends and family. He was so grateful for every single one of them and he loved them all wholeheartedly.

When the song was over, the twins and Nagisa yelled out, "Make a wish!"

To humour them, Makoto closed his eyes as if to ponder about it for a moment, then he blew out the candle.

"What did you wish for, Onii-chan?" Ren asked.

"He's not supposed to tell us," Ran said, "if he does, then it won't come true."

"I'll make sure it comes true," Makoto chuckled, "because I wished for all of us to see each other again very soon."

"Do you think you and Haruka-senpai will be able to come back during the winter break?" Gou asked.

"We're planning to. I don't know when my last shift of the year is yet, but I can't imagine it'll be during the break."

"I'll be in the country too," Rin said with a sharp smirk, "So we can all meet up then. I hereby challenge you guys to a relay!"

"Don't cry when you lose," Haruka said, unimpressed.

Before Rin had the chance to sputter and shout obscenities in the presence of two children, Rei spoke up.

"We'll discuss the details later, when we have more information on our schedules. For now, I think it's time for us to sign off."

"What, already?" Nagisa whined, pushing out his bottom lip.

"We agreed we would leave after we said our piece to give Makoto-senpai some time with his family."

Nagisa sighed exaggeratedly and slumped against his desk. "I know."

"We'll catch up later," Rin said and Makoto nodded in agreement.

"Have a good one, Makoto," Sousuke said, a genuine smile breaking through his otherwise brooding exterior.

"Thanks so much everyone, I really appreciate this."

With waves and goodbyes and promises to talk more later, their friends exited the chat, leaving only the Tachibanas on the screen.

For the next half hour, Makoto and his family went over everything that happened in their lives since their previous skype session - which had been Saturday morning. The twins were in their pyjamas and told him with wide grins that they brushed their teeth beforehand so they could stay until it was their bedtime. Their enthusiasm was infectious and Makoto described the events of the day to them - and to Haruka - with an equally bright smile.

Makoto detected a hint of jealousy from his siblings when he mentioned the kids in his class. They grumbled under their breath that it was unfair those kids got to see him on his birthday and they didn't, while he was _their_ older brother. He didn't want their moods to sour and, after assuring them that their rendition of the song had been far superior, quickly changed the subject. But on the inside, his chest was engulfed with endearment because their sullen faces were far too cute. Although he was craving it so much, the decision to wait with eating the brownie until he logged off seemed to have been the right one, lest they be envious of that too.

Big yawns signalled the twins' bedtime had been surpassed; they'd been so absorbed in conversation they lost track of the clock's minute hand. Saying goodbye to his family always saddened Makoto, but this unexpected moment filled him with such joy that the smile didn't leave his face even after he pressed the 'end call' button.

With a huff of satisfaction, he turned back to Haruka; the amazing Haruka who had arranged all of this especially for him. "Thank you so much, Haru," Makoto said as he took Haruka's hands in his. "This surprise was the best birthday gift I could've wished for. And the brownies are, too!"

"I'm glad you liked it," Haruka said with a smile of his own, "But those aren't my gifts. I have something else for you."

"You do?" Makoto said in astonishment, "You didn't have to, Haru, this was more than enough."

"I didn't have to, but I wanted to," Haruka said as he took out a box from behind the laptop; Makoto hadn't even noticed it. "Here."

The box was small enough to fit in his palm, tied shut with a red ribbon. "Can I open it?"

"That is usually the point of gifts."

Makoto snorted at that remark and tugged at one end of the ribbon, unravelling it and opening the box. When he saw what was inside, a tiny gasp left his lips. On a bed of silk lied a silver keychain with a heart-shaped locket.

"This is beautiful," Makoto said as he took the keychain out of the box, dangling it from his finger and letting the light catch it.

"Pop it open," Haruka said, and when he did, his own heart nearly melted.

Inside of it was a picture of his family and him, taken a few days before his departure. Though the picture was rather small, not only their faces were in view, but also a glimpse of the fully-bloomed cherry tree behind their house.

"Now you can always carry them with you."

It seemed like the older he turned, the more sentimental he got. But he didn't blame himself for the tears that welled back up because this gesture was incredibly thoughtful - not that he expected anything less of Haruka.

"Haru, thank you," Makoto said as he wrapped his arms around Haruka's neck. "This is such a wonderful gift, you have no idea how much this means."

"I think I do," Haruka said, but he returned Makoto's hug all the same. "There's room in the locket for one more picture, so you can decide what else you want to put in there."

"You already know whose picture I'm going to put in it." Makoto leaned his forehead against Haruka's, smile unwavering.

"Happy birthday, Makoto," Haruka murmured, then their eyes fell shut and their lips met in a tender kiss.

Although Makoto missed being with his family on this day, Haruka made up for it tenfold. As long as he had Haruka by his side, Makoto was sure every last one of his birthdays would be as lovely and unforgettable as this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	17. Haunted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count:1,761  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, School Festival, Haunted House, Mentions of Fake Blood

Ever since elementary school, the cultural festival had been something Makoto looked forward to all year. In the weeks leading up to it, the atmosphere surrounding the school was even more pleasant and amicable than usual as everyone put in effort to make their class' event stand out. Preparing their event was a lot of fun, but the real fun came when their hard work came to fruition and the festival began. Seeing what all his classmates came up with, showcasing what his class made, enjoying all kinds of food at the various stalls and cafés, watching recitals and plays, it was a blast from start to finish. It was a time of unity between classmates and at the end, he was left feeling satisfied and fulfilled.

Makoto hadn't expected the enjoyment of it would dwindle when he got to university. On the contrary: everything was on a much grander scale and there were a lot fewer restrictions than in high school. Because of his job, Makoto wasn't in a club and therefore hadn't participated in the organisation, but he'd been looking forward to going to the festival with Haruka and experiencing what his friends had been working on for so long.

But more than twelve years of amusing cultural festivals were at risk of being destroyed in a single minute.

"Come on, Tachibana," Takagi said. "It's not that scary, I promise."

The axe headband sticking out between his copper-coloured locks and the fake blood trailing down his forehead did not support his claim. The instant Makoto spotted his friend, he had let out an audible shriek, drawing the attention of everyone in the hallway and sending his own blood rushing to his cheeks.

"You don't have to, Makoto," Haruka said from beside him and although he appreciated his support, it only strengthened Makoto's doubt.

Takagi had been a good friend of his since day one of university. They sat next to each other in Psychology and hit it off right away, agreeing to swap notes and help each other wherever they could. Quickly thereafter, Takagi had joined the Movie Research Club and, in collaboration with the Creative Writing Club, they had created a haunted house for the festival.

According to the advertisement posters, it was supposed to be like stepping inside a horror movie, a storyline the visitor was the protagonist of. That description set off numerous alarm bells in Makoto's head. He avoided haunted houses like the plague and vehemently refused to watch horror movies and this brought the worst of two worlds together.

The decision of whether or not to partake in this particular event seemed crystal clear. After all, he had strategically evaded the haunted houses in past festivals and had planned to continue this streak. But there was one roadblock: Makoto was a giant pushover.

"We all worked so hard on this and I would love for you to see what we made." Takagi slapped his hands together and bowed his head, nearly smacking Haruka with his axe-handle. "It's like a compilation of horror movie clichés, so it's more funny than anything. But if you do think it's too scary, I'll treat you to whatever you want."

There it was. It was not so much the promise that persuaded him, but the fear of disappointing his friend.

"W-Well, if you insist it's not that scary…" Makoto trailed off with an awkward chuckle.

"Thanks man, I appreciate it," Takagi said with a pat on Makoto's shoulder. "I hope you enjoy it. You too, Haru!"

With that, he stormed off to a group of young women to coax them into entering the haunted house as well.

The exchange left a frown on Haruka's face. "How am I on a first-name basis with your friend but you aren't?"

The dry comment dissipated some of the tension gripping Makoto's stomach. "Sorry, I think it's because I talk about you so much."

"Hm," Haruka hummed, and when he was sure Takagi was out of earshot, he said, "Makoto, you don't have to go in if you're not comfortable. I can go in by myself and tell you about it afterwards, in case he asks you what you think of it later."

Despite feeling like he was seconds removed from willingly throwing himself off a cliff, Makoto smiled. "Thanks, Haru, but I'll go with you. He said it wasn't that scary, so I should be fine."

Except he wasn't fine. The instant he stood before the room and heard the eerie music, Makoto knew he made a huge mistake.

When they entered the house, they got a handful of cards with dialogue options that they would need for certain checkpoints, then the interactive movie began. There was no way back.

Following the story that was being portrayed, Haruka and he moved into a vacant house that was far cheaper than the surrounding lots in the neighbourhood - a house Makoto would never buy in reality for obvious reasons. Right away, strange things began to happen in the house: lights flickered, keys clinked, lamps fell over and the phone rang, but when Haruka picked up, the line was dead. That was already enough to have Makoto clinging to Haruka's arm.

"It's alright, Makoto," Haruka said, rubbing his skin with his thumb. "Just close your eyes and try to think of something else. I'll guide us through."

Haruka's advice was a small comfort, but it was futile. Makoto's heart was actively trying to burst through his ribcage and his fight-flight-or-freeze instinct had kicked in, therefore he couldn't tear his eyes away from any of the things that were happening around him. Logically, he knew everything was fabricated by his peers, but it felt so real. This was exactly why he hated horror. How could anyone enjoy being scared?

When Makoto had unsuccessfully convinced Haruka it was fine, they continued. They had to investigate the reason behind these weird occurrences and found out that a hundred years ago, a young girl was murdered inside their house. It had been haunted ever since by various vengeful spirits and the only way to break the curse that had befallen the house was to figure out who the killer had been.

What the conclusion to the story was, Makoto didn't even care. A light, feminine voice ruptured the silence, ominously whispering about bringing forth suffering to those who had wronged her; suffering that exceeded the torture she endured. Makoto clamped onto Haruka's shoulders as he scanned the room to see where it was coming from. A short girl in torn, ivory robes emerged from the darkness, hunched over with her long dark hair obscuring her stark white face. She glided closer and when she stood before them, she looked up and revealed her pitch-black eyes.

When she popped up into his field of vision, Makoto screamed so loudly it alerted all the orcas within a thousand-mile radius. He nearly jumped on Haruka's neck in an attempt to hide his large frame behind Haruka's smaller one.

Fortunately, the girl noticed how genuinely terrified he was. She recoiled and forwent her script in favour of asking if he was alright, voice a bit heavier than the childlike tone she put on. Before Makoto could come with excuses, Haruka spoke up.

"He's not alright. Is there a way for us to leave?"

The girl nodded. "Code yellow!" she yelled, her voice vibrating throughout the area, then she turned back to them. "You can walk through now. No one will bother you."

"Thanks," Haruka said, and he tugged Makoto along by the hand. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Shame filled Makoto's senses, but when they passed through the rest of the haunted house and he saw the bloodied decor and props, relief washed over him. If he had to stay for the rest, he would either leave crying or in a fear-induced coma, so this was better for everyone involved.

What he did take away from this was that he would no longer trust Takagi's judgement. More funny than anything, he said. The only funny thing that happened inside that haunted house was Makoto's pathetic reaction.

When they were finally outside in the daylight again, Haruka dragged him over to a bench. Once he was seated safely, Makoto's soul returned to his body and his back slumped like all the life force had been sucked out of him.

"Are you okay?"

He looked up at Haruka with blazing cheeks. "I'm sorry, Haru. Because of me, you didn't get to experience the haunted house like it was intended."

Haruka merely shrugged. "As if I care about that. I just want you to be comfortable. But you do need to grow a spine."

"I know," Makoto said, head hanging low, "My childish fears always ruin everything."

"That's not it," Haruka said with a squeeze to Makoto's knee. "It's not weird or embarrassing to be scared of these things, a lot of people are. But next time, you need to come out for it and reject these offers right away. Stop being so afraid of letting people down and straight-up tell them no if you don't want to do something."

It was hard, but Haruka was right. He was an adult now and he should act like one. That included setting boundaries and adhering to them. "You're right. I'll tell Takagi-kun I couldn't handle it and that I won't go in next time. From now on, no more haunted houses or anything else ghost or murder-related for me."

"Good," Haruka said, bidding him a gentle smile that calmed Makoto's overworked heart. "Takagi owes us, but we'll find him later. First, is there anything you still wanted to see or do?"

The terror within his gut mellowed out and he smiled back at Haruka. "Well, I saw a sign for a sweets café earlier. Maybe we can check that out?"

"Sure. My treat," Haruka said and Makoto opened his mouth to protest, but he sent him a look that made it clear there was no room for argument.

Hand in hand they strolled over the campus towards the building that hosted the café. Haruka asked him what kind of pastries he was hoping they'd have and Makoto's mouth began to water at the thought of cakes and brownies.

If there was anyone who could chase off all the bad images and demons that resided in Makoto's mind, it was Haruka. It had been like that since they were kids and it would stay that way even as they grew older, because some things never changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Code yellow" means "Someone is about to piss themselves so drop the act, if you scare them you clean up the mess."
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	18. Music/Dancing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,833  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fiancés, Dance Practice, Wedding Stress

Left foot backwards, right foot to the side and slide close. Or wait, was it right foot backwards, left foot to the side?

Haruka's hesitation made Makoto halt before he could step on his toes and he lost his balance. His hands clenched around the fabric of Haruka's shirt and Haruka caught him just in time before they toppled over and crashed to the floor.

With a sigh, Kisumi turned off the music. "Stop looking at your feet, Haru."

Haruka clicked his tongue. "Easy for you to say, you know what to do."

"I had to learn it like this too," Kisumi said, "You're overthinking it, it's not that hard."

"Swimming isn't that hard either, yet I've never seen you win a competition before."

"Now, now, let's not get personal, alright?" Asahi said, holding up his hands to appease them both before the situation could escalate.

"Why don't we take a short break?" Makoto said, bidding their friends a sheepish smile as if to apologise for Haruka's outburst.

"Fine." Haruka tore himself out of Makoto's arms, stomped over to the couch in the corner of the room and plopped down with a huff.

Deep down, he knew he was being unreasonable. Their friends were trying to help them, but he felt like he was dangling above the pit of despair here.

Their wedding was only a few weeks away and, organised as he was, Haruka made sure they were ahead of schedule and arranged all that needed to be arranged. The venue was booked, the invitations sent out and the cake ordered, and they had appointments for their final suit fittings. From the food served at dinner to the centerpieces and decorations, everything was taken care of. At least, that was what he thought.

During a video chat with Rin earlier this week, he asked how their wedding preparations were going and if they had a choreography for their first dance. When they told him they weren't going to do a first dance since neither of them even knew how to dance, Rin almost jumped through his screen to smack them both across the head. According to him, the first dance as spouses was a beautiful tradition that may not, under any circumstance, be broken.

Makoto and he hadn't been convinced yet, but when they discussed the matter with several other friends and family members, everyone agreed with Rin and insisted that the first dance was a wedding staple. Rei assigned himself the task of coming up with the choreography and Asahi and Kisumi offered to help them learn it and suddenly, Haruka and Makoto found themselves stuck in the center of a storm with no way out. Reluctantly, they agreed to it, on the condition the choreography would be short and simple.

So the following Saturday evening, their living room furniture was shoved aside to create a dance floor and Asahi and Kisumi came over to teach them the choreography Rei put together with the help of Nagisa.

To their credit, they had kept it pretty simple, with a couple of twists and turns and one dip as a grand finale. On top of a video of Nagisa and him dancing it, Rei also wrote a very elaborate explanation on every move and emailed it along. Clear and easy, no issues there. But when they started, the problems rapidly surfaced.

No matter how many times they played the video or watched as Kisumi and Asahi demonstrated the starting steps, they couldn't figure it out. They forgot the difference between left and right, messed up the timing and for the first time in their lives, they felt out of tune with each other. There was no rhythm, no perfect harmony, only two klutzes without a grain of finesse in their bodies, to Haruka's greatest frustration.

They were wasting their time. Not just their own, but Kisumi and Asahi's as well. It was better to throw in the towel than to continue with this shameful display, because there was no way Haruka was embarrassing himself like this at his own wedding.

Noticing his predicament, Makoto handed him a glass of water and sat down beside him. "Are you okay, Haru?" he asked softly so Asahi and Kisumi, who were discussing the matter at the other end of the room, wouldn't hear.

"I can't do this, I give up."

"Don't say that," Makoto said as he nudged Haruka with his elbow. "It's difficult, but I'm sure we'll get the hang of it eventually. You couldn't expect to be able to swim the first time you dove into the water and it's the same with this. If you gave up then, you never would've accomplished what you have now."

Haruka scoffed. "I've always been able to swim, this is completely different."

Makoto chuckled at his attitude. "Fine, walking then. If you gave up with learning how to walk the first time you fell and never got back up, you wouldn't even be here now, trying to learn how to dance."

"If I had stayed down then I wouldn't be having this problem."

"Come on now, Haru," Makoto chided. "Don't be so pessimistic. It's just as hard for me as it is for you, but I'm willing to give it a fair shot. Isn't this fun too?"

"Fun? Makoto, the wedding is in four weeks!"

"So that's what this is about. You're nervous."

"I am about this," Haruka said, defensively turning away from his fiancé and clenching his fingers around the glass. "This is so out of my comfort zone."

"It's out of mine, too, but I still think it's fun," Makoto said as he put a soothing hand on Haruka's knee. "Even if it's something that feels foreign, I think trying something new with you is a fun experience. I'm not confident in my dancing skills at all, but I enjoy dancing with you even if we mess up or step on each other's toes or bump into each other. Because it's another way I can connect with you, something only the two of us share."

Admittedly, Haruka hadn't regarded it like that. But when he thought it over, he found that it wasn't his inability to dance that frustrated him so, it was his inability to dance with Makoto. Everything always went so naturally between the two of them, yet this made him feel as though they were on different wavelengths.

But Makoto felt their connection even though they weren't perfect from the get-go. Maybe they didn't have to be a well-oiled machine to enjoy dancing; maybe twirling around in each other's arms in utter disarray could be fun too, at least until they improved.

"Why don't we get back up and try again?" Makoto suggested with a gentle smile. "We can practice every night, from dusk till dawn, until we get the steps right and you feel comfortable enough. And if you still don't feel comfortable on our big day, then we can forget about it and skip the first dance. It's our wedding, so we can do whatever we want."

After all those sweet words, it would be selfish of Haruka to decline. Their friends were adamant Makoto should lead since he was taller than him, so this was probably even more challenging for him yet Haruka was the one who sat here sulking like a child. The least he could do was try again.

"I guess I could give it another shot."

A wide grin lit up Makoto's handsome face and he leapt up from the couch, grasping Haruka's hand in his. He pressed a kiss to Haruka's knuckles and asked, "May I have this dance?"

Haruka rolled his eyes. "I guess you may," he said, leaning over to put his glass on the coffee table, then he allowed Makoto to pull him up.

"Alright, new plan," Kisumi said after careful deliberation with his assistant. "You can't expect someone who's inside a pool for the first time to swim perfectly, they have to get used to the feeling of the water first. So that's what we're going to do now."

"How?" Makoto asked, equally as confused as Haruka. Images of dancing with Makoto inside the pool flooded Haruka's mind and though the prospect was rather enticing, he was sure that wasn't what Kisumi meant.

"Put your hands on Haru's waist. Haru, you wrap your arms around Makoto's neck," Asahi instructed. When they did as told, he continued, "We're going to put the music back on and you're going to forget we're here and move along to the music. Considering you already live in your own worlds when you're together anyway, I don't think that's going to be very difficult."

"Just do what feels natural," Kisumi said, and with a tap on his phone, the music resumed.

Haruka didn't think this was going to work. It wasn't like he could simply ignore the presence of two loud and boisterous guys disrupting the air in their harmonious living room, and moving along to music could never feel natural to him. The sole place he could freely move as he pleased was inside the water, where he felt fluid and unrestrained.

And yet, as he stared into the forest of Makoto's eyes, how they twinkled with joy and affection, the world around them melted away. His heartbeat spiked and the corners of his lips curled up when he felt how intimate this actually was. Inside the bubble of a soft melody, only Makoto and he remained. As Makoto slowly began to sway along to the rhythm, his own body was swept up in his current.

This beautiful man who held him so gently was going to be his husband. Even though he always knew they were going to spend the rest of their lives together because he loved him more than anything in the entire universe, it was going to be official in four weeks. They were getting married, how could anything else matter?

Every droplet of panic and irritation inside him evaporated, leaving nothing but love and resolve in his veins. Whether it be winning Olympic races and ending up on the podium or dancing a three-minute choreography at their wedding, with Makoto by his side, Haruka was certain he could accomplish anything.

"See, we knew you could do it!"

And with that, the spell was broken and the magic in the air dissolved. Startled, Haruka and Makoto broke away from each other and looked back at their friends, who had blended in with the furniture up until that point.

"Asahi!" Kisumi yelped, but it was already too late.

"Sorry."

"It's alright," Makoto said with his sunshine smile, waving a dismissive hand to Asahi's apology.

"Thank you," Haruka muttered, pushing himself to voice his appreciation, "I think we can try the choreography again."

Learning something new was tough, but with Makoto as his partner and the support of their friends, Haruka was confident they could figure this out right in time before the wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	19. Pumpkin Patch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,283  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Autumn Vibes

If there was one thing that hadn't changed about Makoto since he was a kid, it was his boundless enthusiasm induced by the smallest things. A wide, adorable grin would stretch his cheeks, the same lively spark appeared in his pupils and before Haruka knew it, he was swept along by Makoto's every whim.

That was how he found himself at a farm on a sunny Sunday afternoon, surrounded by hundreds of pumpkins. The scent of compost was heavy and the ground was so bright orange it hurt his eyes, but Makoto didn't seem to be bothered as he led Haruka through the patch with a spring in his step. Then again, tacky orange had always been one of Makoto's favourite colours, so it wasn't surprising he walked around here like he was at home.

This morning, Makoto said he found this farm he wanted to visit. Because of the fall season, they were organising a bunch of fun activities against a relatively low entrance fee: there were wagon rides around the acres of land, gardens to pick fresh vegetables from, a petting zoo, a stall with food and beverages and more. Figuring Makoto wanted to cuddle with rabbits and lambs, Haruka hadn't questioned it. There were no other plans for the day anyway, so they hopped on the train and took a bus to get here.

But once they were inside, Makoto didn't rush over to the farm buildings, but instead to the vegetable fields.

"Don't you want to go to the petting zoo?" Haruka had asked with a frown.

"Later," Makoto said, "I want to pick out pumpkins first."

"Pumpkins? What for?"

"To carve."

That didn't erase the furrow between Haruka's eyebrows; in fact, it deepened. He had pondered about picking up some vegetables too, but certainly not for an art project. "Why do you want to carve pumpkins?" In nearly twenty years, this was the first time Makoto had shown even the slightest interest in carving pumpkins. "Did you see it on tv?"

"On social media," Makoto admitted sheepishly. "This morning, I saw a video on my feed in which a girl carved a pumpkin with a cat face. It was so cute and I thought it would be a nice decoration for our apartment, so I wanted to try to make one with you."

That explained it. Makoto was not exactly the artistic type so there was no way he would come up with something like this himself. The idea of carving pumpkins wasn't a terrible one, on the contrary, Haruka could see himself enjoying it, but it was not without fear. Carving a hard pumpkin meant using a knife and Makoto and sharp objects were not the best combination known to mankind.

"Where were you planning to do that, outside of the hospital?" Haruka said and that comment was met with a puzzled look, so he explained. "Do you think you'll be able to carve one without severing a fingertip or two?"

"Haru!" Makoto grumbled, offended. "I'll be careful, I promise. I've gotten better at cooking and handling knives. When I was chopping mushrooms the other day, I only cut myself once!"

"Wow," Haruka said sarcastically, but he gave up on protesting. If Makoto set his mind to something, especially something he was thrilled about, it was hard to change it. "But why are you picking out a pumpkin now? Isn't it better to see everything else before you buy them, otherwise we'll be carrying them around the whole time."

"That's what everyone does and then at the end of the day, all the good, big pumpkins are gone. It's better to secure our catch as early as possible. I'll carry them around."

This farm was open for a few weeks and there were so many pumpkins to choose from, Haruka highly doubted only tiny, half-rotten ones would be left after today. But one of Makoto's greatest strengths was his idiotic strength, so he should be fine hauling them across the perimeter.

"What kind of pumpkin are you looking for, then?" Haruka asked. They'd crossed dozens already that looked round and firm, yet Makoto trotted around determinedly like he knew precisely where he was headed.

"I want two big ones and two smaller ones that are almost identical," Makoto said. "Then we both have a practice pumpkin before we get started on the real one."

Haruka hummed in understanding and suddenly, Makoto stopped dead in his tracks.

"I'm sorry Haru, I got so caught up in my excitement that I started to make all these decisions for you. Do you want to pick your own pumpkins? Or do you not even want to carve one at all?"

"I'll carve one with you. Besides that I would never allow you to do this unsupervised, I think it could be fun so I want to try my hand at it."

"Thanks, Haru," Makoto said, deciding to ignore the jab. "Do you already know what you're going to make?"

"Iwatobi-chan."

At that immediate, unexpected answer, Makoto burst out in laughter. "You can't make an Iwatobi-chan lantern! He's so ugly, he'll mess up our entire decor."

Haruka shrugged. "Maybe I'll go for a classic, spooky jack-o'-lantern then, or I'll do a cat too."

"Oh, then we'd have matching pumpkins!" The ecstatic smile that lit up Makoto's beautiful face told Haruka that was the only option that remained. "It's a shame pumpkins are so expensive, though, otherwise we could get a whole bunch and try out all kinds of designs."

It was obvious Makoto had never done this before and while Haruka hadn't either, he was sure it wasn't as simple and easy as Makoto thought. He didn't know how the girl did it in the video, but it probably wasn't a reflection of reality. Maybe Makoto would get halfway into his practice pumpkin and come to regret his ambition. Then they'd be eating pumpkin soup for the upcoming two weeks.

But Haruka wasn't going to crush his spirit prematurely. There was no reason to disappoint him before he had the chance to try it out for himself; this carefree side of Makoto didn't surface that often, so Haruka wanted to enjoy it for as long as it lasted.

As they continued to stroll around the patch, Haruka's eye fell on a pretty decently-sized pumpkin. "What about this one?" he said as he crouched down to inspect it. The surface was clear of blemishes and it was a nice, vibrant orange.

"Looks great!" Makoto said as he picked it up. "One down, three more to go."

Haruka nodded and they resumed their search. "Before we leave, I want to go see what kind of other vegetables they have. I'll make something fresh for dinner. Is there anything you'd like to eat?"

A gasp left Makoto's lips. "How about we have a hot pot?"

It had been a while since they last had one and it would be a nice way to end this autumnal day. "Sure, that sounds nice."

"I can't wait! Let's have potatoes and carrots and daikon. Oh, and prawns!"

"After we drop off our stuff at home, we'll go to the grocery store to pick out the ingredients we can't buy here," Haruka said, unable to hold back a smile. "For now, let's focus on finding pumpkins first."

"Yeah," Makoto said as he scanned the ground and then he pointed in the distance. "How about that one, Haru?"

With a smile, Haruka followed behind Makoto to the designated pumpkin. Whether or not carving them would be a success they would have to see, but between a tasty hot pot and lovely company, Haruka was sure tonight would be amazing regardless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	20. Proposal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,999  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Marriage Proposals, Lovers to Fiancés

The cliff overlooking the sea, the starlit sky bursting with fireworks while pretty lanterns floated on the surface of the water behind them. The perfect backdrop for a meaningful, memorable moment. That was where it would happen; that was where Makoto was going to ask Haruka to marry him.

For as long as he could remember, Makoto had known he wanted to spend his whole life with Haruka. But it wasn't until they moved to Tokyo and started dating that this concept turned more feasible in his mind. Ever since it was possible, he wanted to marry Haruka, to be tied to him officially, together in every sense of the word. There were so many things that occupied their busy lives, though, that he didn't want to jump the gun and rush into marriage right away, while they were still in college. No, a wedding to celebrate their love deserved their undivided attention, therefore he chose to wait until the right time rolled around.

And that time had finally come: Haruka was thinking of retiring from swimming, they had their own place in Tokyo and their finances were in order. All that was left now was to propose to Haruka and then nothing would stand in their way - unless Haruka said no, but that wasn't even a possibility.

The instant he decided this was the summer for it to happen, the plan formed in his head. They were heading back to Iwatobi for Obon and what would be a better place to get engaged at than the cliff, that was not only beautiful, but had also seen both highs and lows? They'd watch the firework show there like they did every year and if Makoto timed what he prepared to say just right, the fireworks would explode behind them during their first kiss as fiancés.

On paper, it was a flawless plan, but there was one tiny part Makoto had overlooked: he was nervous beyond belief.

It started last night, as he tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Throughout the day, he was jittery and could barely get a bite of food down his throat, which Haruka must've found suspicious because he otherwise had an appetite for ten, especially on festival days. And the ring he bought, a simple silver band with a small stone in the center, had been burning a hole in his pocket since he put the box in there this morning.

There was no way Haruka hadn't noticed his strange behaviour, but thankfully, he hadn't brought it up. If he had, Makoto would've cracked and proposed to him on the spot, plans be damned. That meant Haruka saw through him and knew what Makoto was going to ask him soon - which wasn't odd considering how in tune they were with each other - but let Makoto go through with whatever he had in mind. While he would've preferred if this would come as a complete surprise, he could never hide something as big as this from Haruka. So now, he hoped that the way he proposed and the things he'd say would be able to impress Haruka at least a little.

For the first time in twenty-five years, Makoto couldn't enjoy the festival like he usually did. As they strolled between the hoard of people, he kept practicing what he was going to say, afraid he'd forget something vital. Meanwhile, he did try his best to act like his natural self and guide Haruka over from one stall to the next. He bought some yakisoba for them to share like he usually did, but that didn't help clear the tension in his muscles either. Haruka was more quiet than normal too, so he probably noticed Makoto's predicament and left him to sort out his thoughts. That brought some comfort to his troubled mind. As always, Haruka was immensely considerate and if there were any doubts about his answer before, then they had vanished now.

When it was almost time for the fireworks to start, Makoto's heartbeat spiked. He took a deep breath to calm down, then he looked at Haruka. With a somewhat strained smile, he said, "Shall we go to the cliff to watch the fireworks?"

Haruka nodded and averted his head almost shyly, like they were teenagers on their first date. It did correspond to the giddiness Makoto felt because, in a way, he was about to confess his feelings to Haruka, though it was nothing he didn't know already. So he took Haruka's hand in his and led him through the crowd, up the steps towards their special place.

To Makoto's relief, no one in town had shared the idea to come here and they were alone. After all, this moment was designated for just the two of them.

"The view from here never ceases to amaze me," Makoto said as he leaned against the railing, "The ocean's already pretty, but the lanterns really are a sight to behold, huh?"

The nerves were taking over, making him spew nonsense and causing his hands to shake. He clenched his fingers around the railing. Although he wasn't quite sure what time it was and how much longer it took until the fireworks were lit, if Makoto waited any longer, he was going to combust.

"Haru, I-"

"Makoto-"

Simultaneously, they spoke and immediately shut their mouths again.

"Sorry, did you want to say something?" Makoto asked.

Haruka shook his head. "You go first."

Makoto nodded. Although he was curious as to what Haruka was going to say considering he hadn't spoken much yet, he was glad Haruka allowed him to talk first.

"I-um, you know. We've been coming here since we were little and…" Damn. Why couldn't he remember what he rehearsed? He took another deep breath in the hope the words would resurface. This was Haruka, so there was no reason to be this nervous. "Back then, I already knew that I wanted to be with you. I didn't know what exactly that meant, but I did know I was the happiest when you were by my side and after all these years, that hasn't changed a bit."

Feeling bold, Makoto turned to face Haruka and reclaimed his hold on his hands. Haruka's lips were parted ever so slightly with a sharp intake of breath, but he couldn't stop now. He had to lay his heart bare.

"There are many things that are uncertain in life, but there is one thing I know for sure. I want to be with you for every day of my life, to wake up next to you and to fall asleep in your arms. Because I love you so much, Haru. I've loved you since the moment we first met and that feeling has only grown stronger during each day we spent together. Even when I think the limit has been reached and I can't possibly love you any more, you somehow manage to exceed even that." When he noticed he was talking faster and faster, Makoto paused briefly. "We've shared pretty much everything and I can't imagine not sharing the rest of my life with you too. So will you allow me to stay by your side forever?"

Makoto grabbed the box from his pocket and leaned down on one knee. Haruka's eyes were as wide as saucers and his jaw nearly touched the floor, so at least this part of the surprise wasn't spoiled yet. Contentment flooded Makoto as he opened the box and asked,

"Haruka, will you marry me?"

For a second, Haruka remained frozen like he was unable to process the question. Then, he began to laugh. Loud, joyous, stomach-clutching laughter left his lips, echoing throughout the quiet area and although the sound was music to Makoto's ears, it left him completely baffled.

It wasn't like he expected Haruka to cry, but he certainly hadn't expected this reaction either. The number of times he'd heard Haruka laugh like this could be counted on one hand and unlike then, Makoto didn't see the humour in it now. Had he said something weird? Was his fly undone? Did he have smears of sauce on his face from the yakisoba?

By the time his giggles passed, Haruka was wiping tears from his eyes. Before Makoto had the chance to ask him what was so funny, he reached into his own pocket and pulled an identical box out of it.

"Only if you'll marry me too."

As if on cue, the fireworks went off, painting colourful flowers in the dark night sky and this time, it was Makoto's turn to be left dumbfounded by Haruka's words.

When the reality of the situation got through to him, Makoto laughed too. He jumped up from his knee and Haruka fell into his arms. They had always been on the same wavelength regarding most things, but who would've guessed they'd be this much in harmony? Perhaps Kisumi was right and their hearts truly were connected.

Their lips met in a clumsy kiss, for they were both smiling too widely to put more finesse in the gesture, but that didn't make it any less loving.

"I can't believe this," Makoto said as they parted, but he kept his arms firmly around Haruka's back. "How long have you been planning this?"

"A couple of months," Haruka said, "And judging by that look, so have you."

"Tonight seemed like the perfect night to ask you, but apparently you had the same in mind," Makoto chuckled and Haruka smiled along. "Did you have any idea that I was planning this?"

"Not a clue. I did think you'd been acting weird since last night, but I thought it was because you were onto me and tried not to ruin what I had planned."

"I thought so too!" Makoto said, "You were so quiet today, I was sure you saw right through me."

"I was kind of nervous," Haruka admitted as he averted his eyes, and Makoto's words rang true once more; he had never loved Haruka more than he did in this very moment.

"Sorry to steal your thunder. What were you planning to say?"

"The same thing you said," Haruka said, looking back at Makoto through his eyelashes, cheeks tinged pink. "That I want to be with you forever because there's no one I love more than you."

"I love you too, I love you so much!" Makoto nuzzled their noses together for a second, then captured Haruka's lips in another kiss; their first proper kiss as fiancés. When he realised he hadn't responded yet, he pulled back. "I will."

Haruka frowned. "You will, what?"

"I will marry you," Makoto said, beaming. "That means you'll marry me too, right?"

"Always," Haruka said, then he released his grip on Makoto and took the ring out of the box. "Then this is for you."

"Thank you," Makoto said as he held out his hand and Haruka slipped the ring around his finger. To make matters even crazier, it was eerily similar to the ring he got for Haruka, except this band was a smidge wider and had three small brilliants instead of one. "It's beautiful. I hope you like yours, too."

"I do," Haruka said when Makoto put his ring in place. "It's perfect, thank you."

"Ah, I can't believe we're getting married!" Makoto said as he wrapped his arms tightly around Haruka's waist and lifted him off the ground.

"Makoto!" Haruka blurted as he latched onto Makoto's neck, but when Makoto only flashed him an enormous grin, he smiled back at him.

"I love you so much, Haru!"

In response, Haruka hooked his ankles at the small of Makoto's back, leaned down and kissed him deeply and tenderly.

There were so many things they would need to organise for their upcoming wedding and Makoto was boundlessly excited about it. But for now, he wanted to revel in this moment with Haruka at this gorgeous place, during this unforgettable night; their first night as fiancés.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	21. Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count:1,109  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Future Plans

Soft light poured through the curtains of their bedroom, but what woke Haruka up was the feeling of a sweet kiss being pressed against his forehead. When he opened his eyes, he was greeted by Makoto's warm smile, his skin glowing golden with sunshine. What a wonderful view to start the day off with.

"Good morning," Makoto murmured as he carded his fingers through Haruka's black locks. His blunt nails felt so delightful against his scalp Haruka was tempted to close his eyes again and drift back to sleep for a little while longer.

"Morning," he said instead, clenching his jaw to suppress a yawn, "What time is it?"

"Almost nine-fifteen."

Haruka's eyebrows were raised in surprise. While Makoto was one to sleep in on the weekends, Haruka had always been an early bird and got up around eight, eight-thirty max. He'd been so deep in slumber that if it weren't for Makoto's loving gesture, he probably would've slept until noon.

"It's rare for you to sleep for so long," Makoto said, "Were you having a nice dream?"

The remnants of it were vague but hadn't completely dispelled yet. "Yeah, we were on a boat."

"A boat? Like a cruise ship or a luxurious yacht?"

"No, a fisherman's boat, like the one Coach Sasabe had," Haruka said, "We were out on the open sea with no land in sight."

"That sounds more like a nightmare to me," Makoto chuckled softly, careful not to disturb the blanket of serenity that enveloped them.

"It was a good dream. We were catching horse mackerels and it was a lot of fun. You weren't scared at all," Haruka said. Even if dream-Makoto had been scared, dream-Haruka would've protected him. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to Makoto, whether it was in reality or not. "We caught a lot of fish and ate them right away."

"Just like that? Raw and alive?" When Haruka nodded, Makoto grimaced. "How was this a good dream again?"

Despite waking up less than five minutes ago, Haruka snorted. "They were raw and alive, but the instant we bit into them, they turned perfectly salt-grilled. It was delicious, I can still taste it now."

"Ah," Makoto said in understanding, "I'd offer to make you some, but I'm not even confident in my mackerel cooked in miso, let alone salt-grilled mackerel."

"It's alright, I'll make some myself later," Haruka said, then he sighed, "It's a shame I can't go fishing for them, though. That would be a lot easier."

"If you could, I don't think you would ever leave that boat, would you? You'd have everything you need: an endless supply of mackerel and more than enough water to swim in, without anyone else around to bother you."

At first thought, that did seem like a dream scenario, but Haruka shook his head. "You'd be too scared," he said in response to Makoto's frown. "And then we couldn't have any cats."

"You're right," Makoto said, the gentle smile resurfacing. "I guess it would be impossible after all. Living on a boat isn't exactly what I'd envision for the future anyway."

Although Makoto and he had never explicitly discussed their future plans, Haruka was certain they were on the same page about it. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but ask, "What do you envision, then?"

For once, a somewhat bashful look appeared on Makoto's face, his cheeks dusted rosy. "Well, in the near future, I would like for us to get married, if it's possible. I want to live in Tokyo for at least a few more years, but eventually, I'd like to move back to Iwatobi. To have our own house between the mountains, with a large garden and a seaside view."

Haruka could already imagine it. They'd have a small and intimate ceremony at the beach or a beautifully decorated pavilion, with all their dearest friends and family members present. After they got married, they'd stay in Tokyo for their careers, but once they were both tired of the pressure of the swimming world, they'd move back to Iwatobi. They'd buy a house similar to the ones they grew up in, with bushes of hydrangeas lined up around the porch and a large cherry tree planted in the back. Perhaps they'd even have space for a small vegetable garden, where he could grow fresh yams and onions. The prospect brought a smile to his face.

"We'd have at least a couple of cats and we'd also take care of all the stray cats in the area and…" Makoto trailed off almost hesitantly, "maybe we could even raise a family together."

Makoto's voice was small when he said it, as if he was embarrassed for even daring to broach the subject. Haruka raised his hand and rubbed over Makoto's arm to let him know it was alright.

Admittedly, it wasn't something Haruka had put much thought into prior to now. But knowing how Makoto was with not only his little siblings but also with all the children at his part-time job, it didn't come as a surprise that he had thought about it. The idea was a bit overwhelming to Haruka, but not appalling. This was a matter for at least a decade from now and he didn't know how he'd feel about the topic when he was older. He wasn't quite sure what their options would be, if they'd even have any options, but he wasn't opposed to at least considering it.

"Maybe we could," Haruka said as he drew circles on Makoto's skin with his fingertips.

A small smile graced Makoto's features. "It's not like we have to decide on anything right now."

"We'll talk about it when the time comes." To seal the promise, Haruka pressed a long, loving kiss to Makoto's mouth. "In the meanwhile, have you had any interesting, exciting dreams recently?"

Makoto pursed his lips in contemplation. "Not that I can remember, but that's okay," he said as he pulled Haruka tighter against himself. "I'm already living the dream anyway."

The instant the words got through to him, Haruka's cheeks heated and he averted his head, but he didn't push Makoto away. How could he when Makoto voiced what was engraved inside his heart? He had to force himself to say it, but he had vowed he'd be more open about his feelings. "Me too."

A large hand cupped his face, drawing him back to Makoto's lips and Haruka gladly kissed him once more, his chest overflowing with warmth.

As long as the first thing he saw in the morning was Makoto's beautiful face, then every day was bound to be a dream come true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	22. Demon/Angel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,612  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Filters, References to Sexual Content

Fresh out of the bath, Haruka walked back into the room. Makoto was sitting on the bed with his back against the wall, engrossed in his phone.

"The bath's free," Haruka said, but Makoto didn't respond. Instead, he opened his mouth slowly, not saying a word, then he chuckled under his breath. With a frown, Haruka went over to him and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Oh, Haru!" Makoto said as though he hadn't even noticed he was here. He patted the mattress next to him. "Come sit. I want to show you something."

Haruka plopped down beside him and scooted over until their thighs touched. When he peered onto Makoto's screen, he frowned. The front-facing camera was open and he stared back at his own face. He didn't quite understand what was so remarkable about this. "What?"

"Now open your mouth slowly."

Another incredulous look was sent Makoto's way, but Haruka did as he was told and let his jaw slacken. Instantly, a rainbow waterfall cascaded from his mouth while his eyes grew big and his cheeks were tinged pink. The furrow between Haruka's eyebrows deepened. "What is this?"

Although they'd had their smartphones for almost half a year, Haruka still didn't understand all the functions it had. There were only a handful of things he used and the camera was one of them, but he had never seen this before.

"It's an app that puts filters over your face so you can take pictures or videos with it," Makoto explained, "You know my friend, Hayami-chan, who posts a lot of sparkly selfies on social media? She was taking some earlier when we were studying, so I asked her how she gets those effects on her pictures and she showed me this app. I've been playing with the filters while you were in the bath and some of them are pretty funny. Here, look."

Makoto swiped through the little images at the bottom and selected another filter. Dog ears and a nose adorned his and when he opened his mouth again, a tongue appeared on the screen. Haruka still thought it was a bit silly, but this one was kind of cute. Not that he would ever admit that.

"And look, it stays on your face even as you move around."

"This one suits you," Haruka said, biting his bottom lip to suppress a smile, "Nagisa was right after all."

"About what?"

"That you're like a golden retriever."

"In that case, this one is perfect for you." Makoto tapped on the search bar and typed something. When he pointed the phone back at Haruka, his whole face was replaced by a cat one that was, unlike Makoto's cartoon dog features, incredibly realistic. The stripes of fur moved along with his expression and the eyes blinked when he did.

"Now this is just terrifying," Haruka said with a snort.

"I quite like it," Makoto said with a cheeky grin. "It's cute. My two loves combined into one."

That made Haruka seriously question both Makoto's taste and his sanity. "How is this amalgamation anything but creepy? This is actual nightmare fuel."

"If you hate it that much, I'll pick out another one for you," Makoto said, "How about this one, a flower crown? Oh, or this one, a halo with angel wings. These are nice, right?"

They were better than the cat filter, but that didn't say much. While Haruka didn't see the fun in it, Makoto seemed to be enjoying himself. As long as he was happy, Haruka would gladly play along. "Do they have an Iwatobi-chan filter?"

A cheerful laugh left Makoto's lips. "I don't think so. You'd have to be the one to create it if you want one."

"Too much effort," Haruka said with a shake of his head. "What about a mermaid filter?"

"Hm, I'm not sure," Makoto mumbled as he thumbed through the options. "I would say no because most of these are aimed to use on your face, not your whole body. I'll ask Hayami-chan about it the next time I see her."

Haruka nodded, then he reached onto the screen. "What's this?" he asked; the preview picture was too small for him to make out what kind of filter it was.

"It's the devil filter," Makoto said as he pressed onto the image. As expected, two red horns popped up between his brown locks. "When Hayami-chan was showing me earlier, my friends said this one suits me."

The crease between Haruka's thin eyebrows returned at that. "How so?"

"They said I look and act so sweet that I must be hiding a secret, demonic side and that the filter is a reflection of my true nature," Makoto said in a spooky tone, but he ended it with a giggle that broke the spell.

Haruka had to summon every bit of self-restraint not to scoff at that. If there was any filter that reflected Makoto's true nature - besides the dog face - it was the angel one. "That's ridiculous. Your friends clearly don't know you as well as they think."

"What, you don't think I have a darker side to me?"

"No?" Haruka said, confused as to why Makoto sounded offended when he was defending him. "You couldn't even pretend to be evil when we were making the swim club recruitment film."

"It wasn't that I couldn't pretend to be evil, I was just nervous about acting in general," Makoto said, discarding his phone on the duvet, "Besides, Shizuru-kun thought my evil king was convincing."

"And he was the only person who thought that," Haruka said, "Makoto, you were crying this morning while watching a cat video. Does that sound like something a person with a dark side would do?"

"But it was so sad and cute!" Makoto said, "At first, it seemed like the kitten wasn't going to make it, but everyone took such good care of her that she made a full recovery. Isn't that heartwarming?"

The tears that welled up as Makoto recalled it did not support his case. "I'm pretty sure my point stands."

"I can be devilish," Makoto insisted as he crossed his arms, "Want me to show you?"

"Sure," Haruka said, curious to see what Makoto would come up with to prove himself. "Show me all you've got."

Before Haruka could as much as blink, he found himself pinned to the mattress by his wrists, arms raised over his head. His jaw plunged in surprise as Makoto hovered over him, a sly smirk wickifying his features, but he didn't want to admit defeat just yet. So he shot Makoto a challenging look back.

Makoto's expression didn't shift as he moved one hand from Haruka's wrists to his belly and, without a second of hesitation, started to tickle him. This was a low blow, but Haruka wouldn't give in that easily. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing and stared right back into Makoto's eyes.

Alas, this was a battle Haruka was doomed to lose, for Makoto knew all his most ticklish spots. After a solid minute of tensing his abs, he couldn't hold back any longer. Loud laughter erupted from his stomach and he kicked his legs.

"Stop! Makoto!" he managed to get out between fits of giggles, desperately trying to break free. "Stop!"

As nefarious as he was, Makoto quit the instant Haruka told him to. With a self-satisfied grin, he sat back. "Well, how was that?"

"This does not count," Haruka said when he caught his breath. "This is teasing at best, not devilish. People tickle each other all the time but that doesn't mean they have a dark side."

"Oh, so you want something of a higher caliber?" Makoto said, scratching his chin as if in deep thought. He leaned over Haruka again, reclaimed his hold on his wrists and lowered his face next to Haruka's left ear. In a low, husky voice he murmured, "You want to see my true, sinful nature?"

The words in combination with his hot breath fanning against his ear shell and neck sent goosebumps down Haruka's spine, spreading tingles across his body. Now this was the type of sinful he could get behind. "As sinful as can be."

Makoto didn't need to be told twice. He stroked his fingertips lightly over the inside of Haruka's bare arms, down his torso to his thighs. Then, he spread Haruka's legs and lined up their hips, his face inches removed from Haruka's.

Haruka's heart pounded faster and faster with anticipation as Makoto's hands played with the hem of his pyjama pants. Makoto's nose brushed against his, their lips only a whisper apart. All the while Makoto didn't break their eye-contact and a look that was more than familiar to Haruka shone in his hooded green irises.

Just when their lips were about to connect in a passionate kiss, Makoto was gone.

Confused, Haruka pushed himself up on his elbows and watched as Makoto leisurely strolled to the bathroom. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to shower. I'll be taking a while, so you don't have to wait up for me and can go to sleep first. Good night."

With that, he shut the door behind him.

This had to be a joke. He couldn't leave Haruka here like this. Surely whatever he had in mind before was much more fun than taking a shower.

Haruka waited for Makoto to come back, but when he heard the faint sound of dripping water, he realised what had happened.

With a loud, frustrated groan, Haruka grabbed a pillow and slapped it over his face.

Perhaps Makoto's friends knew him pretty well after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	23. Neighbours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count:1,841  
> Tags: Canonverse, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Love Confession, First Kiss

One of the biggest changes Haruka had to get used to when he moved to Tokyo was the distance. In Iwatobi, everywhere he needed to go was a stone's throw or a bike ride away, whether it be school or the swim club or the shopping centre or even just the beach. Compared to the small, rural town he grew up in, this metropolis was overwhelmingly large. Here, the only places that happened to be within walking distance were the pool and the convenience store around the corner. For everything else, he had to catch a train. That included Makoto's apartment.

For as long as he could remember, Makoto and he had been neighbours. Removed by one stairwell, Haruka's house was located a bit higher than Makoto's, but their bedroom windows faced one another. If the curtains were drawn back, they could see each other without any trouble. Although it was a bit too far for them to be able to talk without yelling across the street and disturbing the whole town, they found other ways to communicate - before they got their cellphones, that was. They'd hold up notes to ask the other something without having to leave the house first. They were usually questions like 'do you want to come over?' or 'shall we go to the playground?', but a request of 'can you bring your colouring book?' wasn't uncommon either.

Ever since middle school, Haruka would occasionally sneak a glance underneath the curtains after he went to bed to see if the lights in Makoto's room were still on. If they were, he'd imagine Makoto had fallen asleep while playing a game or was cramming for an upcoming history test. During the times his parents were gone and he was left alone in the house, those thoughts brought him comfort. It made him feel less lonely knowing Makoto was near.

When he made the decision to go to a university in Tokyo too, Haruka had hoped this would stay the same. But Makoto hadn't proposed to room together and there was no way he would bring that up himself, and all the other apartments in the complex had been rented out already. The closest place Haruka could find between Makoto's apartment and his school was thankfully on the same train line, but Makoto still felt farther away than ever.

After a few months, Haruka had become somewhat accustomed to it, but it remained a bit strange. At night, he sometimes felt like the city was swallowing him whole, but Makoto and he kept in touch on days they couldn't meet and that soothed the ache just a little.

In the end, the journey might've been troublesome, but the destination was always worth it. When Makoto's building came into sight, the knot inside his stomach unfurled.

Because of his work at the pool, Makoto came over to Haruka's place more than Haruka went to his. To balance it out, he made an effort to go to Makoto on their days off. They had plans to study and eat dinner together, therefore Haruka stopped by the grocery store on the way here. He'd make a big pot of curry so they could both have some leftovers for the upcoming days - and because it was Makoto's favourite.

When he got to Makoto's door, he didn't as much as knock before he went inside. No matter how much distance separated them, Makoto's place would forever be his second home - though if it were up to him, it would be his first home. That was something he wouldn't bring up, either.

"I'm coming in," Haruka said more out of habit than courtesy, letting the door fall shut behind him as he dropped his bags on the floor. He leaned down to untie his shoelaces.

Makoto looked up from where his nose was buried in his laptop. "Hey, Haru," he said with a smile, eyes crinkling behind his black-framed glasses. "I hope you don't mind that I started already. I have to write this six-page paper that is due on Tuesday and I've already been putting it off for long enough."

Haruka shook his head; Makoto's gentle smile erased the dark clouds fogging up his mind.

"What do you want to drink?" Makoto pushed himself off the floor. "I've got water, barley tea, coffee and… that's it."

Haruka frowned. "You don't even have milk?"

"Drank the last of it this morning," Makoto explained sheepishly, "If you want, I'll run over to the convenience store to get some."

"No, water is fine," Haruka said as he stuffed the curry ingredients into Makoto's disgustingly empty fridge. "Were you able to make some progress?"

"I've only written the introduction so far. But I'll try my best to get it done today, and next time I'll start earlier."

A huff of amusement left Haruka's nose. "You say that every time."

"Because I want to start early, it's just that there's always something that comes in between and ruins my plans," Makoto said as he carried their glasses over to the table.

"Don't worry about helping with dinner then and use all the time you have to write."

Makoto offered him a sweet smile that made Haruka's insides feel like honey. "Thanks, Haru."

Warmth rose to his cheeks and Haruka quickly busied himself with taking his books out of his bag. When his hand couldn't find what he was searching for, he clicked his tongue.

"What's wrong?" Makoto asked, eyebrows raised comically above his glasses.

"Forgot my notebook at home," Haruka said with a sigh. What an idiot he was. How could he be so stupid to forget to bring the most important item to a study session?

"Sorry," Makoto said as if he could've done anything to help it. "Do you want me to go get it?"

"No, it's fine, you worry about your paper," Haruka said, suppressing a smile at Makoto's kindness - or perhaps it was another means of procrastination disguised as selflessness.

"This was easier back in high school," Makoto said, "Then it wouldn't take more than two minutes to go and fetch it."

"If only we still lived so close."

The words left Haruka automatically, without any input from his common sense. The instant he realised what he implied, he wanted to smack his head against the table. He hoped Makoto would brush it off as something small and unimportant, but he could never be that lucky, could he?

"Is that something you want? Living closer to each other?"

"No, I mean, I just-"

"Because I do. I would like for us to live closer."

Makoto's expression was dead serious and Haruka's heart skipped a beat.

"Closer as in being neighbours again or closer as in being roommates?" Haruka asked as he tugged at a hangnail, unable to meet Makoto's gaze.

"Closer as in living together," Makoto said, picking his words carefully, and from the corner of his eye, Haruka could see his cheeks were rapidly darkening. "I mean, it would be easier for me too to live closer to my work and I already crash at your place so often that it's kind of a waste to pay so much rent. But if that's not something you want, then I understand." He ended his rambling with awkward laughter and Haruka clenched his fists.

Suddenly feeling bold, Haruka mumbled, "I want it. I've always wanted it, but you didn't ask me."

Taken aback by that, Makoto said, "You didn't ask me either. You asked me to come look for a place with you, so I assumed you wanted to continue living alone."

"I didn't," Haruka said, "I was fine living by myself in Iwatobi, but here…"

He trailed off before he could spill more of his hearts contents. He didn't know what overcame him, but the feelings he'd been hiding deep within himself for months now were threatening to unveil themselves completely unprompted. His feet were ready to make a run for it, but his knees were glued to the cushion. Had this conversation occurred in the past, he would've fled from the scene faster than the speed of light, but now he couldn't leave. This had to happen.

"It's lonely, isn't it? I feel it too. I always knew living alone would be a challenge for me, but I hadn't expected it to be quite this hard." Makoto reached out to touch his hand. When Haruka didn't pull back, he curled his fingers around his. "You know, every morning when I woke up, I would immediately open my curtains to see if you were awake too. Then I knew I could go straight to your house after breakfast without disturbing you and that made me feel close to you."

Haruka's mouth fell open in surprise. He thought he was odd for keeping such a close eye on Makoto's bedroom window, but it turned out Makoto did it too. Perhaps they were a bit too in tune with each other.

"But now, all I have to know if you're awake is a text. I'm happy to receive it, but it feels so impersonal, doesn't it? Anyone could've typed those words, so it's not the same as seeing your face and hearing your voice," Makoto continued as he scratched at his cheek. "I don't know, I just miss you when you're not around, I guess. Sorry if that's weird."

"It's not," Haruka said and the dam shattered. "I want to be with you too. Every single day."

This time, it was Makoto's jaw that plummeted. "You want to be with me, as in, forever?"

Haruka nodded and he was pretty sure his face was starting to look like a perfectly-cooked lobster, but he couldn't back down now.

"Does that mean you have feelings for me?" Makoto said slowly like one wrong word could make Haruka explode - which wasn't outside of the realm of possibilities. "As in, romantic feelings?"

"Maybe it does."

It was an evasive answer, but Makoto knew Haruka well enough to read between the lines. A huge smile lit up his handsome face. "Haru!" he said and he nearly tackled Haruka to the floor in a big hug. "I love you too."

It wasn't like Haruka expected anything else, but hearing Makoto say it so bluntly made his heart do a backflip of joy. Though bashfulness still coursed through his veins, he wrapped his arms tightly around Makoto. The feeling of Makoto's chest pressed against his and his large hands on his back felt even better than he could've imagined.

Time froze around them when their eyes met. The gravitational pull towards Makoto's mouth that Haruka had been resisting for months now was stronger than ever. There was no reason to combat it anymore, so Haruka let his eyes fall shut and leaned up. Their lips met in their very first kiss.

Makoto's paper, Haruka's homework and dinner could wait until later. At that moment, there was nothing they wanted to do more than to explore this new chapter in their relationship and their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	24. Picnic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,564  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Quarantine, Pandemic, References to Sexual Content

When Makoto visited the shrine on January first and prayed for a good year, the last thing he expected was to be in quarantine because of a pandemic three months later. And yet, that was exactly the situation he found himself in.

His study and work had been put on hold and he had to refrain from leaving his home except for necessary groceries, but Makoto felt like he couldn't complain. He wouldn't get lonely because Haruka was here and there was no one he'd rather be stuck inside with than him. They recently moved into a bigger apartment, so even if they did get sick of each other's company - which was unlikely - they could retreat to either the bathroom and their bedroom, which was separate from the living room and kitchen. All of their loved ones remained to be healthy up until now which was a blessing in itself, and he'd always been a homebody anyway so he didn't miss going out and about as much as some of their more extroverted friends.

But there were days Makoto couldn't help but feel lost. After all, he was in Tokyo to follow his dreams and it was a bit frustrating he couldn't continue to live the life he meticulously built here. When days passed during which cancelled plans should've taken place, the sullen feeling welled up and he missed even the most mundane things, like going to a bookstore with Ikuya and Hiyori or drinking coffee at Marron and catching up with Kisumi, Asahi, Akane and little Tsukushi.

Today was one of those days. The cherry trees were in full bloom and even though they hadn't planned a flower-viewing party with their friends, Makoto always looked forward to the season. It was sad to let the beautiful petals fall without appreciating them properly, but spring would come again and Makoto was sure they could celebrate a new start then. Health and safety were priority number one, everything else could wait until later.

Fortunately, Makoto wasn't one to get bored easily so on days like these, he distracted himself by reading a book or playing some games. While Haruka didn't mind being cooped up at home either, he did miss the freedom of swimming at the pool. To make up for the lack of water, he spent even more time in the tub than usual and to release his excess energy, he dragged Makoto over to their bedroom at least twice a day. It could be a bit exhausting, especially if Haruka insisted on a second or even a third round, but Makoto would be lying if he said he disliked this turn of events. Being with Haruka so much, both between the sheets and outside of them, was the silver lining amidst this awful situation.

After one of these 'morning marathons', Makoto was the one relaxing in the bath for a change. He invited Haruka to join him, but he claimed he had something to do and left swiftly after they cleaned up. Not wanting to pry, Makoto let him off the hook without any questions. If it was important, he was sure Haruka would tell him eventually.

Cuddling with Haruka held his preference, but it was also nice to be able to stretch out his legs for once. With his eyes shut in contentment, Makoto basked in the warm, soapy clutch, enveloped by comfort and serenity; moments like these made him understand Haruka's affinity for the water a little more. He could stay here for hours, but the seed of curiosity Haruka planted in his mind by acting so cryptically began to grow as the water nourished it.

When his stomach growled, he gave in to the temptation and yanked the plug out of the drain. He dried himself quickly and slipped on some loungewear. If Haruka was still busy, he would leave him be. Then he'd be a good boyfriend and whip up some egg sandwiches for their lunch.

"Haru?" he called as he opened the bathroom door and his jaw hurtled to the floor.

The furniture inside their living room was shoved aside and Haruka was sitting on a large quilt in the middle of it. Multiple lunchboxes with all kinds of different food, from onigiri and karaage to pieces of fish and a variety of vegetables, were set out beside him along with a thermos and two cups. And to top it all off, an enormous drawing of a hanging, blossoming cherry tree was taped against the wall, fallen petals spread across the floor.

"Haru," Makoto gasped, slapping a hand over his mouth to stifle his astonishment. "What's all of this?"

"You looked so somber that we can't go out to watch the cherry blossoms, so I thought I'd bring the cherry blossoms here."

Tears emerged in Makoto's eyes, but he swallowed them before they could spill. Ever since they were little, Haruka had been incredibly kind and thoughtful, yet gestures like these never ceased to surprise Makoto.

"This is amazing, Haru," he said, letting his eyes drink in the atmospheric feast Haruka prepared. "When did you do all of this?"

"I started this morning when you were still asleep and I finished it while you took a bath," Haruka said, a soft, shy smile adorning his lips.

"So that's why you were so eager to keep me in bed," Makoto said; Haruka was always excited and ready to pamper him behind closed doors, but he brought it to a new level this morning.

"Part of the reason," Haruka mumbled and Makoto could read the rest of the reason on his face, that was shaded the same lovely pink as the paper petals. "Now, sit down and eat before the food spoils."

At the mention of food, Makoto's stomach cried out again. At least he hadn't skipped breakfast for nothing.

He plopped down on the quilt beside Haruka, who handed him a pair of chopsticks. They said their thanks, then Makoto didn't waste a second before he dug in. He picked up an omelette roll, that was so soft and fluffy it melted on his tongue. He had to resist the urge to moan; he'd already disturbed the neighbours enough at that point.

"This is so good, Haru," he said through his full mouth. "Thank you so much for doing this for me."

Haruka shrugged. "I know it's not the same as an actual picnic with our friends beneath a real cherry tree, but I hope you still like this."

"I love it," Makoto said, leaning over to drop a kiss onto Haruka's cheek, "I couldn't have wished for anything more than this; this is the best flower-viewing party I've ever been invited to."

And he meant every word. Despite them being inside their house and the tree being cut out of pencil-coloured pages of his notebook, the ambience hadn't gotten lost. On the contrary, because it was just the two of them at home, the ambience was even better than it would've been otherwise. Haruka put so much effort into doing this especially for him and that made it so much more meaningful than anything they could've set up with a group of friends. This was so charming and whimsical it turned Makoto's insides to mush, his heart fluttering against his ribcage.

Perhaps Haruka was even more of a hopeless romantic than him. But if he said that, Haruka would surely get annoyed at him and he wouldn't want to make him grumpy after this grand gesture of affection.

"I had no idea you were planning something like this," Makoto said instead as he plucked a mini tomato from one of the boxes. As a token of his appreciation, he'd leave most of the mackerel for Haruka.

"If I let you notice, then it wouldn't have been a surprise."

"You're right. You raised the bar by a lot, though. I don't know how I'm ever going to top this."

"You don't have to," Haruka said, munching on a tuna with mayonnaise onigiri. "I didn't do this to get something in return."

"I know, but this is so special to me, I want to do something for you that gives you that special feeling, too."

"Idiot," Haruka said as he picked at a grain of rice, "You don't have to do anything for that."

Fireworks of adoration exploded in Makoto's stomach. Haruka was so cute, he truly loved him too much for his own good. This adorable reaction only made the desire to return the favour fizz up even stronger.

"Thanks, Haru." An unrestrainable smile curled Makoto's lips. "Still, this is so much fun, we should do things like this more often. When all of this is over and we can go out again, I'll take you on a nice date. I can't promise it'll be anywhere near as good as this, but I'll try my best."

"If you insist, then I'll be looking forward to that," Haruka said with a tiny smile of his own brightening his beautiful face.

Makoto leaned forward and stole a kiss from Haruka's mouth, the flavours of the food intermingling between them. He wasn't sure yet what he was going to organise for their date, but fortunately, he had a lot of time to think about it. For now, he would simply enjoy their little picnic and revel in this amazing moment Haruka created.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an idea that I've had since the start of the year and I never had the energy to write it out as a twitter thread. When I saw this prompt on the list I knew the time had come for this idea to be brought to life, so I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	25. Enemy>Lover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 3,006  
> Tags: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Developing Relationship, Strangers to Lovers, First Meeting, Prince!Haruka, Prince!Makoto, Prejudices

If there was one thing Haruka had known since he was a child, it was that when he came of age, he would be married off to a member of royalty or nobility of some foreign realm. As the crown prince of Tobi, that was his destiny and he made peace with it years ago. But when the day for him to meet his spouse-to-be arrived, he was everything but okay.

"Come on, Haru," Nagisa said as he poured more hot water into his bath. "Don't get all sulky before you even meet him. Maybe he's actually really nice!"

Haruka huffed and averted his head. Nagisa might've been bubbly and optimistic, but Haruka didn't share his positivity. The biggest hurdle for him was not that he was being married off, but to whom and what this arrangement entailed.

The lucky bachelor was Prince Makoto Tachibana. He was the oldest child and heir of the Tachibana family and the crown prince of Iwa, a neighbouring kingdom that was relatively small but still twice as big as Tobi.

Although Haruka had never met the guy, his status and title were enough to determine what he'd be like. In years of mingling with those who shared his destiny, Haruka had learned that they were all the same: arrogant, snobby, disrespectful and insufferable. They'd snap their fingers and expect servants to kneel at their feet, holding up their shoes on a golden platter. Barked out orders like they were better than everyone else because of the simple fact they'd been born in a palace instead of a shack. That was exactly the kind of person Haruka couldn't stand.

And to make matters worse, he was going to have to share his precious kingdom with him and rule over it by his side.

The main reason their engagement commenced was that Tobi was, to put it frankly, bankrupt. The sea levels were rising and a recent flood destroyed both houses and crops, leaving a large group of people homeless and starving and his parents were at their wits' end, unable to solve the problems that had befallen their realm.

The kingdom of Iwa had offered their help in exchange for a formal alliance and a marriage. But there was one issue: Haruka was an only child and the daughter of the Tachibana family had not nearly reached a marital age yet. Instead, their eldest son had proposed an alternative. The marriage would take place between the two crown princes and the kingdoms of Iwa and Tobi would merge into Unified Iwatobi, which would be ruled over by both Haruka and himself. It was merely a political marriage, as the princes would be allowed to have their own families if they pleased, and in turn, their firstborns would rule over Iwatobi as a pair.

A kingdom with two kings, it was a revolutionary concept and an absolutely ridiculous one at that. The instant Haruka heard of it, he knew it was a scheme of this 'Makoto' to steal the land of Tobi to expand his own kingdom. He'd play the sympathetic prince for their subjects, but behind closed doors, he would enforce his dominance and undermine Haruka's sovereignty, to eventually become the sole ruler of Iwatobi. While Haruka hadn't cared about becoming king and leading the realm, he'd rather die than play in the hand of some power-hungry narcissist.

But his parents and their advisors hadn't agreed with him. Out of desperation, they accepted Iwa's proposition and no matter how much Haruka protested or how many counter-arguments he presented, they wouldn't budge. His fate as Prince Makoto's puppet was sealed and he was incredibly bitter about it.

Three overly polite knocks on the carved door pulled Haruka from his brooding thoughts. "Yes?"

The door was slowly pushed ajar and Rei poked his head around the corner. "Your Highness, I do not mean to disturb but," he said, but when Haruka sent him a scowl, he sighed. "Prince Haruka, your parents are waiting for you in the throne room. Prince Makoto and his delegation arrived over half an hour ago and it would be… appreciated if you came down to greet them."

"I will," Haruka grumbled, "After I'm done with my bath."

"Forgive me for intruding, but you've been in the bath for nearly three hours already. Your fingertips are pruned and the water must be freezing by now."

"It's not, come feel for yourself." Haruka gestured toward the bath, trying his best to appear nonchalant.

Rei didn't seem fazed. "How many times did you refill His Highness' bath, Nagisa?"

"Hm." Nagisa scratched at his chin in contemplation. "About seven times?"

"Nagisa! You need to be more responsible. You know this is a grand day for Prince Haruka."

"I know. He's just nervous and taking a bath relaxes him, so you shouldn't be so hard on him."

"I'm not nervous," Haruka said defensively, facing away from his retainers with a pout. He knew that, in their own ways, they both had his best interest at heart. Rei wanted him to be punctual and presentable when meeting important people, while Nagisa enabled his evading behaviour because he knew Haruka struggled to come to terms with this ordeal and found solace in the water. This wasn't worth the argument between them. In the end, Haruka was an adult and had to own up to his fate. "I'll get out, so tell my parents I will be down shortly."

"Thank you," Rei said, adjusting the spectacles on his nose with a self-satisfied puff. "I shall tell them to look forward to your swift appearance."

Nagisa rolled his eyes at his colleague's formality; after years of friendship, Rei still felt conflicted calling Haruka by his preferred nickname, instead switching between his titles. That was very different from Nagisa, who'd been casual with him since they were kids. Although Haruka liked them both equally, he did prefer Nagisa's easy-going nature.

With the click of the door, Rei was gone and Nagisa and Haruka were alone again.

"I get that you're not happy about this situation, I wouldn't be either," Nagisa said as he held out Haruka's towel. "But you can't just make assumptions about Prince Makoto. Not every prince is stuck-up and spoiled, you're not like that either. So why don't you give him a fair chance? Who knows, maybe you'll end up liking him a lot."

Deep down, Haruka knew Nagisa was right. He highly doubted he would get chummy with Makoto, but perhaps he had to give him the benefit of the doubt. If he was every bit as awful as Haruka imagined, then he would find that out soon enough. No need to get ahead of business.

With a semi-renewed outlook on the predicament, Haruka got ready with Nagisa's help. He wasn't vain at all, but if he made a strong, confident impression, he might've been able to thwart Makoto's possible ploys before they could come to fruition.

Clad in his finest cobalt blue suit and with his crown on his neatly-combed hair, Haruka descended the stairs and walked towards the throne room. With his head held high, he swung open the doors and strolled in, graceful and in control.

And then, he laid eyes upon Prince Makoto and he had to pick his jawbone off the red carpet.

An elegant green jacket adorned his broad shoulders, white trousers hugged his legs and behind and tall boots supported his lean, muscular form. For a prince, he was dressed surprisingly modest, but if it weren't for the brilliant crown placed on his messy brown locks, then his aura would've been enough to betray his status. His back was straight, feet planted firmly on the ground like an unwavering oak tree, sturdy and assured. This was what a man who was prepared to lead a nation looked like.

But Haruka's heart didn't stop until Makoto peered back over his shoulder and revealed his face.

Ever since he was little, Haruka had been told by folks he encountered how beautiful he was and he hadn't found any reason to disagree with those comments. But Haruka's beauty paled in comparison to Prince Makoto. His jawline was sharp with a chiselled chin and rather round cheeks, but that added to his charm. His lips were full, his eyebrows slightly upturned and his nose complemented all his other features. But his eyes were the ones that took Haruka's breath away.

They were vibrant and green like he was wandering in a hedge maze with no exit. Mesmerising like he didn't even want to find a way out. But most of all, overwhelmingly kind.

When Haruka noticed he was staring at Prince Makoto while everyone else was staring at him, he quickly shut the doors behind him and stumbled over to his parents' side. If only he hadn't lost face yet; Prince Makoto might've been handsome, but that didn't mean he was trustworthy. Haruka shouldn't let his guard down.

"Haruka, I'm so happy you could finally join us," his mother said with a wide smile, but the daggers she shot at him through her gaze informed him he was in for an intense scolding later.

"Thank you for waiting for me," Haruka said with a feigned smile of his own. "I'm glad I got the opportunity to be here because it is an honour to meet you, Prince Makoto."

"I feel the same way, Your Highness," Prince Makoto said and damn, his voice sounded like violin music on a sunny afternoon. "The honour is entirely mine, as I feel grateful you were able to find the time in your undoubtedly busy schedule to come and greet me."

Prince Makoto ended his play with a deep bow and Haruka's eyebrows furrowed. Was he mocking him? Usually, Haruka was pretty good at reading people and all the signs told him Makoto was being sincere, but he couldn't believe someone would seriously say that to him after the way he acted.

Perhaps Haruka was the obnoxious, entitled prince in the equation. "Of course, Prince Makoto, we are honoured to welcome you into our humble palace."

"Well then," his mother interrupted before this charade could drag on for hours. "Haruka, why don't you show His Highness around our… _humble palace_?"

"Certainly, Mother," Haruka said, "Prince Makoto, would you please follow after me?"

"It would be my pleasure," Makoto said and the smile on his face hadn't lessened; in fact, it was like it grew even softer, as though fondness twinkled in his eyes. Haruka must've been hallucinating. "Please lead the way, Prince Haruka."

With Makoto trailing behind him, Haruka took him via the sunroom straight outside to the gardens. There, he'd at least be able to catch some fresh air as he listened to the bragging and boasting that would probably stream out of Makoto's mouth like a polluted waterfall.

They walked down the steps onto the path between the tidy yet lively garden. Hydrangeas, begonias and geraniums were plentiful and not a single branch was out of line on the trimmed bushes. This was Haruka's favourite spot on the entire castle grounds for a reason.

"These gardens are beautiful," Makoto said, turning his head from left to right and back again as though his brain couldn't process what his eyes were registering. "Perhaps the most beautiful I've ever had the privilege to walk through. Your horticulturists must be very skilled."

"I guess so," Haruka shrugged, unsure of how to answer that. Of course their horticulturists were skilled, else they wouldn't employ them. But Haruka swallowed that comment because he felt himself becoming the villain he feared Makoto to be.

When he glanced to his side and didn't see Prince Makoto beside him, Haruka frowned. Had he scared him off already?

When he looked back, Makoto was standing several meters behind him, head downturned.

"Prince Makoto?"

"I… want to offer you my apologies."

Haruka's frown hardened. "Apologies? For what?"

"This arrangement, it was my idea," Makoto said, facing back up and for the first time since their meeting, his smile was gone. "I hope you understand that I only suggested it because I wanted to help. When I heard about the situation in Tobi, my heart broke and I wanted to do everything within my power to aid your people. I know it might not have been my place, but if something like that were to happen to my people, then I would appreciate all the help we could get. When human lives are at stake, I believe our pride as leaders should not stand in the way of doing what is right."

Those words surprised Haruka. Maybe he had judged Makoto too soon. In the very least, his morals seemed to be in check.

"I certainly don't want it to appear as though I find you and your family incapable of ruling over Tobi by yourselves, but this was the only possibility I saw to overcome this issue. After all, Iwa's resources are limited and I could not convince our advisors to come to Tobi's aid without expecting anything in return. They wanted concrete assurance that Tobi would have our backs if such a disaster were to occur within our borders and said I was naive if I trusted you without a formal arrangement. In that regard, I failed and I owe you an apology for that." Makoto bowed to him once more, even deeper than last time.

Haruka was at a loss for words. He kept staring at Makoto's folded back, mind blank and he didn't know how to comfort him, if that was even the correct response.

When Makoto straightened his spine, he continued, "But I am not against this arrangement and the merging of our kingdoms. No matter how extreme the circumstances would get, I would never propose something so outlandish if I didn't believe it was beneficial to both of our kingdoms. Together, we'll be so much stronger in times of trouble, but I would be lying if I said part of the reason why I am in favour of this isn't selfish."

"Selfish?" Haruka asked. From what Makoto had told him, he acted out of pure selflessness.

"To be honest with you, the thought of becoming king and leading our realm has always been a bit frightening to me," Makoto said, shuffling his feet as he averted his eyes. "Ever since it was decided I'd be crowned within a few months, I've had this tight knot in my stomach. Being the king is such a big responsibility, I'm afraid I won't be able to fill my parents' shoes, that I'll make foolish decisions and that my people won't like me. Of course, I know I'll always have the support of my parents and my advisors but I just… I feel like I'm not ready at all."

At that earnest confession, Haruka's mouth fell open once again. Makoto appeared so reliable and certain, he never would've guessed he harboured such insecurities. Perhaps it was because he felt so lost that he hid it so well.

"I've never told anyone this before," Makoto admitted as he scratched at his cheek, "But that's why the thought of merging our kingdoms appealed to me; so I'd have you by my side. Carrying the weight of a whole kingdom seemed a bit lighter if I could share it with someone, that's why I advocated for this particular arrangement. I realise now that's very immature and egotistical of me, so I apologise again for wanting to push my burden onto you."

If Makoto was being completely honest - which Haruka had no lingering doubts about at this point - then it wasn't that he wanted to steal Haruka's land and title, but wanted to push part of his own onto Haruka's plate like they were vegetables he couldn't stomach.

Haruka had never been extremely thrilled about his duties either, albeit for different reasons than Makoto, so it wasn't like he didn't understand him. While he hadn't thought of this arrangement as being a shared burden, the idea didn't sound all that unpleasant to him now he did ponder it over. Perhaps this wasn't as ridiculous as it initially seemed.

"It's okay," he said after a moment of silence, "I suppose I don't mind shouldering half of your weight as long as you shoulder half of mine."

"Certainly," Makoto said, nodding vehemently. "I do want you to know that I don't expect anything of you. I mean, we'll be getting married through this arrangement, but that doesn't mean you'll be obligated to do anything. I want you to continue to live your life the way you please, the way you always have or the way you envisioned, without minding me. I do hope we can become friends, but if you prefer for our contact to be strictly political, then I understand, Prince Haruka."

"You shouldn't be so insecure about everything, because you have no reason to," Haruka said, turning around so Makoto wouldn't see the blush he could feel burning on his cheeks. "And just Haru is fine. We're getting married, aren't we? There's no need for such formalities."

An audible gasp left Makoto's lips. "You're right, Haru," he said with a warm, melodious chuckle.

"Are you coming? I'll show you the rest of the garden," Haruka said as he resumed walking. Before Makoto could ask something that forced him to unlock his heart, he changed the subject. "What are your favourite flowers?"

"Camellias," Makoto said as he matched Haruka's pace, "Do you have any bushes?"

"We do, I'll take you to them."

Together, Haruka and Makoto wandered through the vast and lavish gardens. During the short time since they met, Haruka's opinion of Makoto shifted completely and now, he was convinced they would become the friends Makoto hoped they'd be.

At that point, he had no idea yet that when they got married a few weeks later, he'd say his 'I do' with a wide smile and that the ceremony would be ended with a true, tender kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if this fully qualifies as enemies to lovers, but it's the closest I could manage because I cannot imagine a world in which Haru and Makoto would be enemies, haha. When I first read this prompt, I was pretty stumped on what to do with it, but then my sister reminded me of this old AU I've had in mind for years but never did anything with and I thought it would fit in here. Either way, I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	26. Art Class

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,947  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Nudity

When Haruka asked him if he wanted to model for a drawing he had to make for his art elective, Makoto agreed immediately. He was happy to help Haruka out wherever he could and he felt honoured that Haruka wanted to draw him for an assignment. Although he imagined it would be difficult to sit still for an extensive amount of time, he was pretty excited about trying something new with Haruka. If he got cramps from holding the same position for too long, Haruka would surely give him a break.

But when Haruka laid out all his supplies and set out a chair for him, that excitement quickly diminished.

"Take off your clothes."

"Why?" Makoto asked with a frown.

"It's an anatomy assignment," Haruka explained, "I have to draw your body and I can't see your muscles and bone structure through your sweater and jeans."

That did make sense so Makoto stripped down to his underwear without any protests, though he did feel a bit self-conscious. Being in his leg skins at the pool was so much different from being in his underwear on an assignment Haruka's professor would grade. But he told himself they'd view it with a professional eye and not a scrutinising one, and they probably had to look at hundreds of other drawings so he hopefully wouldn't stand out too much.

"Okay, how do you want me to sit?"

"Makoto," Haruka said with a deadpan expression. "Take off _all_ your clothes."

The blood vessels in Makoto's cheeks nearly burst at that. "What?"

"You have to be nude in this image, it's in the criteria."

"Why didn't you tell me that sooner? Being in my underwear is already embarrassing enough, but being naked is just impossible!"

"Because you'd immediately say no."

"Of course I would! Don't they provide nude models in your class?"

"They do, but you were sick that day and I stayed home to take care of you, remember?" Haruka said, "All the other classes already had their sessions too and it's not like they will hire another nude model for me alone, so I have to do this assignment at home."

Damn. It was his fault Haruka missed this class so it was his responsibility to help him catch up. But no matter how guilty Makoto felt, he wasn't sure if he could do this. "Isn't there anyone else you can ask?"

"Sure, let me call Asahi and ask him if I can stare at his naked body for hours while I sketch the outline of his di-"

"Okay, I get it!" Makoto interrupted before he could pass out from heatstroke. "This is completely professional, right?"

"Of course, it's artistic nude. The only person who'll get to see this beside us is my prof, I promise."

In the end, Makoto could never refuse Haruka when he needed him. With a sigh of defeat, he hooked his thumbs into the waistband and tugged his boxer-briefs down. "How should I sit?"

"Facing me. Put your left foot on the seat and lean your right elbow on the backrest, hand on your knee. Put your other foot on the floor and let your other arm hang limply beside you."

Those were some specific instructions. Haruka probably put a lot of thought into this, so Makoto couldn't disappoint him no matter how shy he felt. "Like this?" he asked when he assumed the right position.

"Hmm." Haruka ran his eyes over his form critically. "Actually, instead of putting your hand on your knee, raise it to support your head. Tilt your head to the side a bit so I can see your neck."

"Alright," Makoto said and he did as Haruka told him. "How's this?"

"Better. I'll start drawing now, so don't move."

"I don't know how long I'll be able to sit like this, though."

"I figured, so let me know when you need a break."

"I will."

With that, Haruka flipped open his sketchbook and began to draw.

Makoto's gaze wandered from the lamp on the ceiling to the draped curtains, trying to divert his attention from the situation he found himself in. If he'd been told a few days ago that he would be a nude model for an art assignment, he would've laughed and brushed it off as something beyond his capabilities. While he did maintain that viewpoint, the subject was a whole lot less hilarious now.

The only sound in the room was the scratching of graphite onto paper, which made Makoto even more aware of his frantic heartbeat. Every nook and cranny of his body was not just being studied closely, but also eternalised in the sketchbook like an exhibit of all his flaws and imperfections. Each weird mole and bump and pocket of misplaced fat displayed for the whole world to see - actually, for Haruka and his professor solely, but it sure felt like the whole world.

The more time passed, the more Haruka's eyes burned on his skin and the more awkward Makoto felt. He couldn't back down anymore, so he had to repress the itching discomfort or else he'd disturb Haruka. Unconsciously, he bit his bottom lip and scrunched up his nose.

Haruka's pencil halted on the page. "I'm still drawing your general shape so it's fine for now, but once I get to your face you need to relax your expression. My professor will think I held you at gunpoint otherwise."

"Sorry," Makoto said, resisting the urge to scratch at his cheek, "It's just so embarrassing."

"But why? I see you naked all the time and you don't seem to have any issues with it then."

"But then you're also naked."

"Do you want me to take my clothes off, too?"

"That's not what I mean," Makoto said, "I don't feel embarrassed in the heat of the moment, and not even if you just see me nude either but this is different. You're completely staring me down and that makes me self-conscious."

"You didn't feel self-conscious when you sent me that picture when I was at the training camp a few weeks ago. And believe me, I stared at that every night until I got back."

"That was different too, then I couldn't see you staring," Makoto said and somehow, the temperature inside his cheeks rose even higher at the mere thought of the picture. "And I'll have you know, I _was_ self-conscious. My finger hovered over the button for twenty minutes before I sent it and I felt so embarrassed the second I did that I almost regretted it."

"I was happy to receive it," Haruka said, putting down his sketchbook on his lap. "Do you know why?"

"Because you were, you know, _excited_?"

"That too, but that's not what I meant," Haruka said as he stood up and walked over to Makoto, taking a hold of his hands. "Because you're beautiful and I love your body so much. Whether it's touching or just watching, I love every part of you."

The look in Haruka's eyes was dead serious and his voice conveyed unwavering sincerity. It was rare for Haruka to state his thoughts so openly and it simultaneously made Makoto's heart skip a beat and his head avert as bashfulness flooded him.

"I'll love your body no matter how it ends up looking because it's yours and I love you," Haruka continued, cupping his jaw to make him meet his gaze. "But objectively speaking, you are incredibly good-looking. Not only your body, but your face too. You are so attractive, handsome, gorgeous, hot, sexy-"

"Haru!" Makoto interrupted, laughter bubbling up from his stomach. Haruka didn't compliment him this blatantly often, so knowing this was how Haruka truly felt about him boosted his self-esteem.

"Don't you ever be ashamed of your body, or of any part that is you, because there is nothing to be ashamed of. You're absolutely beautiful both inside and out."

"Thank you, Haru," Makoto murmured, leaning up to capture Haruka's lips in a kiss of gratitude. "You are, too."

They kissed each other again, brief but immensely loving. When Haruka pulled back, he said, "If you really don't feel comfortable with me drawing you naked, then that's okay. I'll try to find someone else."

Makoto shook his head. "It's alright. It's just you and me anyway."

"And my professor."

"And your professor," he said with a chuckle, "But your professor won't get to see me naked, but a drawing of me, so it's different. As long as I never run into them."

Haruka smiled too and with a final kiss, he went back to his cushion at the table. "If you get back into position, I'll resume drawing. I'll draw the most beautiful nude artwork she's ever seen."

Makoto nodded and moved his limbs to their assigned position.

One break and nearly two hours later, Haruka put his last pencil down. "It's finished. Want to come take a look?"

"Of course!" Makoto leapt off the chair and crouched down next to Haruka. His mouth fell agape when he saw the image he had created. "This is amazing, Haru!"

The man on the paper was very attractive, with sharp yet soft features and a toned body, but it was undeniably him. Admittedly, Makoto never stood in front of the mirror for longer than necessary, but he would if this was the body he always saw. Knowing Haruka viewed him this way was already touching, but the fact that he merely drew what was tangible almost took Makoto's breath away. Haruka had been a skilled artist since they were kids, but with each stroke and every line, he got even better.

"You truly outdid yourself, Haru. It's like you improve whenever I blink."

"Thanks," Haruka said with a small smile. "I had a great model."

"You'll definitely get a high grade on this assignment. Maybe even the highest grade in your year."

Haruka shook his head. "I'm not turning this drawing in for the assignment."

Makoto couldn't believe his ears. Had he suffered through all that embarrassment for nothing? "What, why?"

"Look at it," Haruka said, turning away his head as an adorable blush lit up his ears. "I don't want anyone else to see you like this, not even my professor."

At that, Makoto almost choked with laughter. "Are you serious? What happened to it being artistic nude?"

"It is artistic nude, but this is too private."

"What now then? Are you not going to hand anything in or are you going to try to find another model?"

"I'd like to draw you again, if that's okay with you."

"Sure, but won't you have the same issue then?"

"I'll draw you from a different angle, one that doesn't show your face or at least isn't recognisable," Haruka said, "I'll have to think of a new pose. Do you have time tomorrow evening?"

"Yeah, I don't have to work, so I'll try to finish up my homework in the afternoon," Makoto said as he shimmied his clothes back on. "You know, it was a bit scary at first, but I had a lot of fun."

"Me too," Haruka said, "Does that mean I can draw you more often?"

"Is that with or without clothes?"

"Both."

Makoto giggled again. "Alright, because you asked so nicely."

"Thanks," Haruka said, wrapping his arms around Makoto's shoulders. "You really are a great model. Very… inspiring."

Although Makoto would probably never possess the unwavering confidence some others were blessed with, Haruka always knew how to make him feel better about himself. And perhaps, through portraits and images Haruka drew of him, Makoto could learn to love himself the way Haruka loved him: wholeheartedly, all imperfections included.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	27. Breakup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to preface this by saying that, despite what the prompt would suggest, this is not a breakup fic. Sorry if you read the prompt list beforehand and had certain expectations of it, but I can't even think about a MakoHaru breakup, let alone write about it, so I didn't. Nevertheless, I tried my best to stick to the prompt as much as I could, so I hope that you'll enjoy this fic a little regardless.
> 
> Word count: 1,778  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Movie Night, Teasing, The Life of a Rat

Heavy rainfall pattered against the building and washed over David, whose head was concealed by his fedora. This was it. This was the climax and Makoto hugged the pillow on his lap to his chest.

" _That fateful day, a rat got lost in the middle of an experiment._ "

" _It's okay,_ " Veronica said from the bottom of the stairs, clutching her pet cat, Snowball, against her chest. " _No matter who you've changed into, it won't change the moments we shared or my love for you!_ "

Happy memories of David and Veronica flashed across the screen as she said her piece and Makoto held his breath.

" _Thank you, Veronica, but…_ " David whipped his head up and the wind blew his hat away. Lightning struck behind David and Veronica gasped loudly, eyebrows raised in terror. The handsome face she had fallen in love with was gone, replaced by a rat's head. Tears shimmered in David's eyes as he said, " _Since you love cats, I can't live with you!_ "

" _David! Please, no!_ "

" _Please forgive me!_ "

With that, David ran off. Veronica collapsed on the stairs, weeping loudly in Snowball's white fur.

A melancholic melody began to play as the credits rolled down the screen. Makoto couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"This can't be it," he mumbled under his breath, leaning forward to fetch the remote off the coffee table. He fast-forwarded through the credits to check if there was a final scene at the end, but there wasn't. This was all there was to the movie. "I can't believe this, this can't be the end! There has to be a sequel, The Life of a Rat 3?"

"I don't know," Haruka said, absentmindedly munching on some of the leftover popcorn. "Ask Rin. He's been a fan of this franchise since day one."

Earlier that day, they were video chatting with Rin and talked about the remarkable things that happened since they last caught up with each other. When Rin asked them if they had any plans for the night, they told him they were probably going to relax and watch a movie, but they didn't have anything specific in mind. Rin recommended this duology; he'd seen both films in the cinema when they were first released a few years back and they made a lasting impression on him. By then, they'd known Rin long enough to decipher that meant he cried at least once while watching them.

Neither of them had heard of this franchise beyond an off mention here and there and while the title was a bit odd, they decided to give it a go. They watched both movies back to back and the bittersweet ending didn't exactly move Makoto to tears. Rather, he was left frustrated.

"This can't be the end of David and Veronica. They can't break up just because David has a rat head now," Makoto said, "I know Veronica loves cats and I understand that, but that doesn't mean they can't look for a solution to bring David back to who he was. Or in the very least, they could've found a way to make it work despite David being a rat!"

"Makoto, it's a movie," Haruka, who was a lot less invested in the plot, said. "Not every story has a happy ending."

"But David and Veronica love each other so much! Isn't true love supposed to conquer all?" Makoto said, adjusting his position on the couch to face Haruka. "Would you break up with me if I got fused with a rat by accident?"

"Definitely."

"Huh?" Makoto's jaw plummeted to the ground faster than Veronica fell to her knees. "What, why?"

"You know I'm only with you for your looks, right?" Haruka said, expression blank as he continued to stuff popcorn into his mouth. "If you lose that, then I don't know what's left for me to love."

Makoto stared at him in incredulity, but then the corners of Haruka's lips twitched up and a hint of a smile broke through his aloof facade. "Haru!" he complained as he smacked Haruka's legs with his pillow. "That's not funny."

Haruka pulled in his legs, folding them beneath himself and he snorted. "No, Makoto, if you somehow got amalgamated with a rat in some freaky experiment, then I wouldn't break up with you. But if you get on my nerves, I might consider setting up mouse traps around the apartment."

"Stop," Makoto said, grabbing the bowl from Haruka's arms. "If you're going to keep teasing me, then you don't deserve any more popcorn."

"I made that popcorn myself, I think I'm entitled to it."

"Try taking it back from me then." Makoto shot him a challenging look.

One glance was enough to determine it would be a losing battle for Haruka, so he tapped out before he started. "You can have it. I've had enough popcorn anyway."

It was a measly victory, but a victory nonetheless. Makoto rewarded himself by popping a piece into his mouth, the buttery yet slightly salty flavour spreading over his tongue.

"What about me?"

Haruka's voice made Makoto look up from his snack of triumph. "What about you?"

"Would you still be with me if I got turned into a rat?" Haruka asked, "And before you say yes, you have to keep in mind that that would mean you can never have a cat. I cannot, under any circumstance, be turned back human."

"I would train the cat not to attack you," Makoto said, but Haruka shook his head.

"No. There is no way for a cat and me to coexist in the same house, and you can't have a separate room or shed or anything to facilitate a cat either."

Makoto rubbed at his chin to feign contemplation, wanting to tease Haruka back a little, but then he said, "Yes, I would still be with you."

"What if you couldn't even pet your friends' cats or stray cats as long as you're with me, because my rat-scent would cling to you constantly?"

Makoto grimaced at that detail. "That sounds gross."

"It would be gross," Haruka said, "So what would it be? No more cat cafés, no more burying your face in soft fur, no more pink paws or rough tongues as long as you're together with me?"

"I'd still pick you," Makoto said decisively because there was not a grain of doubt in his mind about this, "I can always watch cat videos online."

"What if that wouldn't be allowed either?"

A chuckle left Makoto's lips. "You just want me to say I'd give anything up for you, don't you? But yes, even if that wouldn't be allowed, I would still choose you. I'd choose you over anything because I apparently love you more than Veronica loves David."

Judging by the satisfied grin that briefly darted across Haruka's face, that was indeed the answer he was fishing for. "Aren't you glad it's just a movie?" he said as he leaned back against the couch, "Next time, tell Rin to recommend us better movies."

"Well, I didn't think the movies were bad, but I wish the romantic subplot ended differently," Makoto said, "I want to see a romance that's strong and can withstand anything, no matter what. A relationship like ours."

"There aren't any movies like that," Haruka said and he sounded vehement about that fact, like he'd already watched every film that was ever created and none of them held up. "And I can't imagine one will be made soon."

"Why not?"

"Because romances in movies are fictional while our connection, our feelings for each other are real."

That reply made Makoto's mouth fall open once again, his heart melting inside his chest. Haruka stated it like it was the obvious truth, which it was, but Makoto hadn't expected him to say it. Despite their unswerving bond, there were still times when Haruka could catch him off guard, with kind words or equally thoughtful gestures.

"I guess you're right," Makoto said, a soft smile stretching his cheeks. "Maybe we should make our own movie then."

"And star in it ourselves?" Haruka said with a huff of amusement, "This movie is going to be as much of a disaster as the swim club recruitment video we shot back in high school."

"It won't be, because unlike with that video, we're actually fit to play these roles," Makoto said, "I was born to play the part of the compatible love interest. Want me to prove?"

"Show me what you've got."

Makoto put the bowl of popcorn down on the coffee table, then he grabbed Haruka's hands. His gaze locked onto Haruka's as he vowed, "I don't care what you've turned into, when I said I wanted to be with you forever, I meant it with all my heart. As long as you're Haru, that's all that matters to me because I love you more than anything in the entire world."

A bright blush lit up Haruka's face and he whipped his head around, breaking the spell Makoto cast over them. Although every word he spoke was true, Haruka's reaction made him grin. It was good he wasn't the only one who could be surprised by a sincere confession.

"How was that? You can't possibly break up with someone like that, can you?"

"I wasn't planning to," Haruka said before shoving the last handful of popcorn into his mouth to distract himself.

"I thought you had enough popcorn?"

"I changed my mind."

Makoto chuckled. "As long as you don't change your mind about our relationship, that's fine by me."

"I would never," Haruka mumbled while he chewed, "You're perfectly cut out for your role in this movie."

Even though he already knew that, the reassurance was very much appreciated. "So are you." Once Haruka's mouth was empty, he leaned in and stole a kiss from his lips. Salty kisses rarely tasted this sweet. "I would love for this movie to continue and reach its climax, but it's getting pretty late. Shall we postpone it till tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Haruka said, stifling a yawn at the mention of the time. "You can be a good love interest and carry me to the bathroom."

"If that's what it takes to stay by your side, then gladly." Makoto leapt to his feet and scooped Haruka up in his arms. "You can go brush your teeth first, I'll clean up here."

"Thanks," Haruka said as he pressed another kiss to Makoto's lips.

There might not have been any cameras rolling and they weren't following a script, but as far as love stories went, Makoto was certain that theirs exceeded every other tale that had ever been told.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	28. Pirates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 2,107  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Video Chat, Tachibana Twins

Seated at the kotatsu with his back against the bed, Makoto clicked and scrolled through various articles. He had to write an essay about a common injury in athletes, how to prevent it and possible remedies. The choice for rotator cuff injuries had been a simple one: Sousuke had first-hand experience with recovering from a pretty severe case with surgery and therapy and Makoto could gather some useful knowledge through him.

When Makoto sent him a message this morning to ask if he would be willing to share his experience in detail, Sousuke had agreed and they talked on the phone for about an hour after class. Although this essay wasn't due for another week and a half, he wanted to get started right away, now the conversation with Sousuke was still fresh in his mind. Of course, he took a bunch of notes while Sousuke explained the medical process he went through and the physical therapy he had once a week, but it was better to get started while he was ahead.

So after dinner, he brewed a nice cup of tea, burrowed himself under the kotatsu and got to work. Sousuke's anecdotes were extremely helpful, but he couldn't write an essay based on his personal experience solely, so he surfed from one medical journal to the next in search of more information.

But when he opened his document to start typing, a call button popped up on the screen. One glance at the clock made him smile. It was seven-fifty, ten minutes before the agreed-upon time. Ran and Ren were eager as always.

He accepted the call and was greeted by a pair of excited grins.

"Onii-chan!"

"Where's Haru-chan?"

Makoto chuckled. Hello to them, too. "Haru's taking a bath right now."

"Aw, I wanted to see him too!"

"Can't you ask if he'll come out of the bath?" Ran asked with a pout that matched her twin's.

"He had a long day. Coach Tsukamoto really pushed him to his limit," Makoto said, "Maybe he'll come to say hi later, but for now we should let him relax, alright?"

"Alright," they said in unison.

"So, what did you do today? Did you learn a lot at school?"

The disheartened looks on their faces were wiped away instantly. "We went to Mami-chan's place after school," Ran said, "It was her birthday the other day and she got this movie as a present, so we watched it together."

The question about school was completely ignored and Makoto giggled on the inside. "Really? What kind of movie?"

"It was about pirates!" Ren said, "They were so cool and they had big swords and they went like _woosh_ and _slash_." He waved an imaginary sword around, adding sound effects at every strike.

"And at the end, they finally found the island where the treasure was buried, but then there was this other group of pirates, the one they fought before, and the captains had to duel for the gold," Ran explained. "But the evil pirate captain cheated and had one of his crewmates attack the good captain from behind. But the good captain was so skilled at fighting that he dodged the attack and won from them both!"

"And then he gave everyone a share of the gold and when he was back home, he used his gold to buy medicine for his sick auntie."

Makoto was pretty sure he wasn't familiar with this movie, but now he didn't have to waste time watching it either. Trust the twins to spoil everything in their enthusiasm. "It's a relief he won, then."

"Yeah, because the evil captain was going to gamble with it and he always cheats so that's unfair," Ran concluded with a nod.

"That is pretty unfair."

"What's unfair?" Haruka asked as he kicked the bathroom door shut with his foot, a fluffy towel slung around his neck. He swooped down and pressed a kiss to Makoto's head. When the speakers of Makoto's laptop burst with giggles, Haruka whipped his head around. "Oh, hi. You guys are early."

"They had something really important to tell me," Makoto said with a smile as Haruka snuggled himself beside him underneath the kotatsu.

"Yeah!" the twins said and gave Haruka a rundown of everything they just told Makoto, with some extra details to spoil the movie even more, of course.

"Sounds like you had a lot of fun today," Haruka said when they finished their incohesive plot summary.

"We did," Ran said, "And when the movie was over, we wanted to play pirates with Mami-chan, but we couldn't decide who would be the captain."

"We all wanted to be the captain," Ren concurred.

"Why didn't you all be captains then?" Makoto asked and he was instantly met with incredulous frowns.

"You can't have three captains on one ship!" Ren said.

"Yeah! There can only be one captain, or else it's not the captain."

"Yeah, Makoto," Haruka said teasingly, earning himself a nudge from Makoto's elbow.

"Okay, I get it, one captain," Makoto said, "What did you do to solve the issue then?"

"Nothing. Mom came to get us before we got the chance to listen to each person's reason," Ran said. "So when we got home, we wanted to play with just the two of us, but we still couldn't decide. But clearly, I'm the best captain."

"That's not true, I'm the best captain."

"How could you be the best captain?" she asked, "You're always late for everything. By the time you find out where the treasure is, another group of pirates has already got it so there won't be any gold left for you or your crew."

"Well, you wouldn't be a good captain either because," Ren said, pausing briefly to think of an adequate reason. "Because I wouldn't listen to you. How can you be a captain when your crew doesn't even listen to you?"

"The rest of the crew would listen to me," Ran claimed, "Only you wouldn't because you would be jealous that you're not the captain yourself!"

Completely forgetting they had a live connection to Tokyo, Ran and Ren resumed their squabble from this afternoon as though it never ended. Seemed like their mom went to get them right in time, before it got out of hand and they damaged their friendship with Mami-chan beyond repair.

"Guys, stop it," Makoto demanded in that brotherly-tone he hadn't used in months. "This is nothing worth fighting about."

"No mutiny on this ship," Haruka said, trying to bite back a grin.

"Why don't you choose which of us is the best captain then?" Ran said and Ren voiced his agreement.

"You both have your own qualities that would make you a good captain," Makoto said, "Ran, you're a real go-getter so you'd sail straight towards your goal, no distractions, while Ren, you're very understanding so I'm sure your crewmates would feel safe with you as their captain."

Ren sighed and deflated on the table. "Of course you would say that, Onii-chan."

"So wishy-washy," Ran said with a disapproving shake of her head.

"What? It's true!" Makoto defended. How could he ever pick one of them above the other?

"Haru-chan, you decide," Ren said, knowing that unlike his brother, Haruka didn't sugarcoat his opinion.

"Hmm," Haruka said as he thought about it. "I pick Makoto as the captain."

"Onii-chan?"

"Me?"

"Yes. He's the oldest."

"I'm not, you are," Makoto said.

"Who says I'm playing along?" Haruka said, but before the twins had the chance to groan and protest, he smiled. "I meant between the three of you. Makoto is the oldest so it makes sense that he would inherit the ship. Besides, he already knows what it's like to be a captain anyway."

"He does?"

"How so?"

"He was the captain of our swim team in high school, remember?" Haruka said as he grabbed Makoto's teacup and took a sip.

Makoto frowned. "I was, but that's not the same as being a pirate captain."

"Yeah, being a pirate captain is different," Ren said.

"Why is it different?" Haruka asked. "He was in charge of us, his crewmates, and gave us specific instructions on what to do. He made decisions along with our manager and the teacher, his advisors, and he took us to several different venues, like islands across the seven seas. And most importantly, he led us to gold on numerous occasions."

Ran scratched her chin. "You do have a point."

"Maybe Onii-chan would be a good captain."

"He already is. He's a great leader and makes sure everyone in his crew feels comfortable in their job and outside of it. He can be a bit indecisive at times, but when it truly matters, he always does the right thing."

"In that case, you would be an amazing captain too, Haru," Makoto said, "You're strong, even in the face of adversity and although you don't show it as obviously, you're so caring and considerate. You're always looking out for everyone and you whatever you can for your friends."

Haruka's cheeks lit up and he looked down to fumble with the hem of the futon. "Too much trouble."

"What about me?" Ran said.

"And me?"

Makoto smiled. "You two would be amazing captains too. And I know you think otherwise, but I don't see why a ship can't have two captains. You're twins, so I can't imagine two people more fit to work together like that than you. You can take turns as the head captain who gives orders to your crew members, and when true danger lurks, you can fight it off and protect your ship as a duo."

"But when you're playing with Mami-chan or your other friends, be sure to give them a turn as captains too, otherwise it's not fair," Haruka said and for impact he added, "Then you would be just like that evil captain."

That startled them. Although ideally, they would prefer being the sole captain on their ship, they aspired to be brave and righteous ones, not the tyrannic and wicked type.

"Alright, we'll take turns," Ran relented.

"That would be the fair thing to do," Makoto said with an endorsing nod of his head, "You can use rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets to go first. Then the winner is the captain for the day and the rest of you get a chance the next time."

That wasn't a bad solution and Ren said, "You really are a good captain, Onii-chan."

"Thanks," Makoto said, smiling fondly at his little siblings. "Now that issue is solved, did you do anything else recently?"

They chatted about the eventful and uneventful things that occurred in Ran and Ren's lives since the last time they caught up, but the twins remembered to ask them about their days as well. Knowing they were much better at talking than listening, Haruka and Makoto made sure to keep their answers short.

When their mom came to greet them and tell Ran and Ren it was bedtime, they said their goodbyes. The majority of the conversation hadn't been what he expected it to be, but Makoto basked in every minute he got to spend with his siblings nevertheless. He missed them and their endless enthusiasm a lot and hearing them ramble on about the tiniest, most trivial things with such fervour in their voices made his heart melt with fondness.

"You never know what you're going to talk about next with the twins, huh?" Makoto chuckled at the thought of oversized pirate hats on their small heads, boots that were too tall for their legs, eye patches and plastic cutlasses that couldn't even slice butter. "At least now I know what to get them for their birthday."

"Don't bother," Haruka said, "Now it's pirates, next week they watch a movie about superheroes and then that's their new obsession."

"I can't argue with that," Makoto said, and then he looked down at his lap. "Did you really mean it?"

"Mean what?"

"When you said I was a great leader?"

Haruka scoffed and his cheeks regained their cherry blossom-tinge. "I wouldn't have said so if I didn't," he grumbled and he shot up. "I'm going to get some tea. Do you want a refill of that?" He gestured towards Makoto's cup.

"Arr," Makoto said, unable to hide a grin as Haruka snatched it from the table and went over to the kitchen. "Oh, and could you bring the cookie tin?"

"Aye aye, Captain."

With a smile, Makoto watched Haruka's retreating back, his chest spilling over with affection. Pirate captain or not, it didn't matter, because Makoto had already found the greatest treasure on earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	29. Soulmate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 2,872  
> Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Developing Relationship, Fluff, First Interaction, Mirror Link

Green. For as long as he could remember, Haruka had dreamt of green. It was vibrant, ever-present, warm, and above all comforting. Like the essence of happiness was captured in one colour.

Outside of his dreams, Haruka had never encountered a green quite like it - at least, not that he recalled. Grass seemed dull in comparison, while neon signs screamed to call attention to them, but Haruka's green was a gentle shade, bright but still soft.

Haruka didn't know what it was supposed to represent, if it even had a meaning or if it was nothing more than an image his mind conjured up at night because it couldn't be bothered to create something else. But it wasn't unpleasant, far from it, so he hadn't questioned it beyond a fleeting thought here and there.

It was no different this morning; the last rays of green lingered before his eyelids when he woke up and left contentment in his heart. What was different this morning was the time displayed on his alarm clock, that either hadn't gone off or that he'd pressed in his sleep. Seven-fifteen, half an hour later than usual. There went his morning bath.

His good mood instantly vanished and he was almost certain a bad day would follow. With a sigh, Haruka pulled himself from his sheets and dragged his feet toward the bathroom.

The mirror above the sink reflected his sour expression, but he couldn't be bothered to unfurl his eyebrows. It wasn't like anyone else could see him right now and even if they could, he couldn't care less about his appearance or their possible opinion at that moment.

He grabbed the tube of toothpaste and his brush and pinched some onto the bristles, then he sighed again. Of course it squirted out too much, half of it spilling over and wasting away in the sink. Scrap that bad day and make it awful.

The thunder clouds were nearly visible above his head as he lazily brushed his teeth. Perhaps he should've just turned around and gone back to sleep, school be damned. Judging by how this day was going so far, he'd probably miss the train or get hit by a bus on the way there.

He spat out some of the excess toothpaste, but when he straightened his back, he wasn't met with his reflection. Instead, he saw a completely different bathroom, with a white wall instead of small blue tiles, and a completely different person; a person he didn't know.

It was a guy who he estimated to be around his age. His brown locks were styled in the most incredible bedhead Haruka had ever seen and his eyes were squeezed shut, a large hand covering up a yawn. When it passed, he lowered his arm and revealed his heart-shaped face with thick, upslanting eyebrows, a straight and slightly raised nose, full lips and pearly teeth.

Despite the visible fatigue wearing down his features, he was undeniably handsome. Very handsome. But when he opened his eyes and his pupils shrunk as they adjusted to the light inside the bathroom, Haruka's breath was stolen from his lungs. His irises were green. That shade of green Haruka had been yearning for since he was a child.

After eighteen years, Haruka finally saw his soulmate and he was relieved and touched and immensely confused.

Most people first met their soulmate when they were kids. As soon as they heard about the connection mirrors made between two people, a phenomenon scientists couldn't explain to this day, they'd spend days in front of the most reflective surface in their house in the hopes of catching a glimpse of their special someone. While Haruka hadn't been quite that eager, he'd be lying if he said that he didn't coincidentally pass by mirrors more often than before and lingered for longer than necessary.

Not once had he booked any success and after a while, he gave up. If his soulmate and he were destined to be together, they would see each other eventually. As the years went by, the lurch of his stomach whenever he stood in front of a mirror disappeared and the thought faded to the back of his mind, where it lived as a cricket that blended in with the rest of the white noise.

And now, when he overslept like he never did and was angry at the world for the tiniest little things going wrong, the day that had been written in the stars since his birth or perhaps long before that had arrived. It was almost funny. Almost.

Haruka was sure he hadn't seen him before, because there was no way he could ever forget a face as beautiful as this guy's. What did leave him baffled, though, was that he'd somehow been dreaming of his soulmate's eyes for years prior to their first meeting. That wasn't supposed to be part of the deal and he never heard of anyone who experienced it too, not from his friends or family members, not even in the most romantic movies or tv dramas. Had his soulmate been dreaming of his eye colour too, or was Haruka special for some unknown reason?

He didn't have much time to ponder it over. When his soulmate processed what he was seeing, his jaw dropped, then his mouth moved rapidly and he frantically waved his hands. What he was blabbering about, Haruka had no idea since mirrors were not equipped with microphones and speakers, but once he said his piece, he was gone.

Everything happened in a flash and before Haruka knew it, he was staring back at himself again. Like the image of his soulmate was nothing more than a hallucination.

Unsure of what to do now, Haruka quickly finished brushing his teeth and rinsed out his mouth. He wasn't sure if his soulmate was going to come back, but if he left now, then he might have to wait for eighteen more years to see him again.

Fortunately, his patience was rewarded. After a minute, the guy returned with a notebook in hand. He held it up and scribbled on the page in fine letters was, ' _Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Makoto Tachibana. What is your name?_ '

The writing was in English and Haruka felt like an idiot once more. He hadn't even considered the possibility that his soulmate could be from another country. While his name was clearly Japanese and his appearance matched, that didn't have to mean he lived here and spoke the language fluently. Perhaps his ancestors moved overseas a century ago and he didn't speak two words Japanese. The possible time zone difference that came with it might've been the reason they hadn't met sooner. If that were the case, they were going to have a problem because foreign languages were not exactly Haruka's strongest suit. There was only one way to find out.

He held up his hand to tell his soulmate to wait while he went to fetch a notebook and a pen of his own. When he got them, he sped back to the bathroom, where his soulmate remained with a kind smile on his face. The drowsiness had vanished and instead, his eyes were twinkling, making Haruka's stomach flutter. Even without the mirror, Haruka would've instantly known this was his soulmate; never before had a single expression done so much to his insides.

' _Haruka Nanase._ ' He wrote down and then he decided to cut to the chase immediately. He scratched at his chin as he pondered over the correct English spelling. ' _Where are you from?_ '

' _I am from Japan, and you?_ ' Was his soulmate's response and his heart sighed in relief. At least he didn't have to worry about his English vocabulary anymore.

' _Me too._ '

His soulmate's face lit up even more - if that was even possible - and he excitedly scribbled more into his notebook. ' _Oh, thank goodness! I was afraid you'd be from abroad and that I would have to write in English the whole time. My English is not so good._ '

A tiny smile curled Haruka's lips. So far, that was one trait they had in common. But before he could write that, his soulmate put his pen against his paper again.

' _I'm so glad I finally get to see you, Nanase-kun. I was starting to worry we might never meet. I've been looking forward to this moment for so long and I have so many things I want to ask you. Sorry if that's weird._ ' When writing in his native language, Makoto appeared to be very talkative. It was kind of cute.

' _It's not weird. I've been wondering about you too._ ' Haruka held up his notebook, but then he lowered it again and added, ' _and just Haru is fine. No need to be so polite._ '

' _Alright, Haru, you can call me Makoto, then. How old are you?_ '

' _Eighteen._ '

' _Oh, you're older than me. I'm seventeen. I'm turning eighteen on November 17th._ '

November 17th. Haruka hadn't given his soulmate's birthday much thought, but now it seemed odd he always passed such an important day by like it was nothing, while he was certainly going to celebrate it in the future.

' _That's less than a month away. I should get you a present._ '

Makoto wrote something, then scrapped it and wrote something else. What was left was, ' _Thanks, but you don't have to. When's your birthday?_ ' But crossed out between the lines, Haruka could make out ' _meeting you is already the best present I could've wished for._ '

Haruka felt his cheeks warm up and he averted his head. Although they met a mere handful of minutes ago, Makoto was already proving himself to be overwhelmingly sweet and kind. Not that Haruka expected anything less of his soulmate.

' _June 30th._ '

' _Only a few months apart. I'm assuming you're in your third year of high school too, right?_ ' Makoto wrote and Haruka nodded. ' _Sorry if this is too personal, but do you mind telling me where you live?_ '

That question made Haruka frown. Makoto was his soulmate and they were supposed to live their lives by each other's side. In order to meet in person, knowing where the other was located was kind of a requirement. Maybe Makoto was a bit too considerate for his own good. ' _I was born in Kyoto, but I currently live in Tokyo._ '

Makoto's green eyes lit up in something Haruka could only describe as excitement. ' _Really? I'm planning to go to a university in Tokyo in April! Meijou Chuo, have you heard of it?_ '

If Makoto was coming to Tokyo, that meant he didn't leave here yet, but that he would be within reach soon. That brought some peace to Haruka's heart; now he didn't have to jump through hoops to see him in real life. ' _I have. What are you going to study?_ '

' _Sports Education. I want to be a swim coach for children._ '

This time, it was Haruka's turn to gasp. Did that mean Makoto was a swimmer too? It seemed almost too good to be true, but would someone who didn't love to swim really be his other half? ' _Do you swim yourself?_ '

' _I do. I specialise in backstroke. Does that mean you also swim?_ '

By the look of his broad shoulders, that wasn't difficult to believe. Haruka could only imagine what kind of muscles were concealed by his orange and yellow shirt.

' _I only swim free._ ' Haruka noted down and before he knew it, he added, ' _I was offered a swimming scholarship at Hidaka University. I'll be starting in April too._ '

Makoto's mouth fell ajar. ' _Wow, that's amazing, Haru! I'm so proud of you._ '

If Haruka's face felt warm before, then it was scorching now. ' _If you're going to a university in Tokyo, then where do you live now?_ '

' _In Iwatobi, a small seaside town in Tottori. I was born and raised here. Have you heard of it before?_ '

The coincidences were stacking up so quickly it was almost scary. ' _My grandma was born in Iwatobi. She lived there for years until she and my grandpa got together and moved to Kyoto._ '

' _Really? Who would've thought?_ ' Makoto held up his notebook with a small chuckle. Haruka couldn't hear it, but he was convinced the sound was as lovely as his sunny smile was.

' _She always made it sound like a beautiful place, so I've been meaning to go visit it sometime._ '

' _You definitely should, it truly is an amazing place. The view of the ocean is stunning and the mountains are perfect to hike or ride a bicycle through._ ' Once Makoto was certain Haruka had read it, he flipped the page and wrote something else. ' _I've lived here for my whole life, so it's going to be hard to adjust to living in such a big city without my family around. Although I set my mind to it, I've never been all by myself before and I was scared I wouldn't be able to get around, so knowing you'll be there is a great comfort._ '

Without conscious input of his brain, Haruka wrote, ' _It is a bit scary at first, but you'll get used to it sooner or later. If you're not comfortable living by yourself, you're welcome to come live with me. My parents moved to Hokkaido for my father's work so I live by myself anyway._ '

The second he raised his pen from the paper, he began to question his own sanity. He just met Makoto and didn't even know what his voice was like yet, let alone the rest of his life and how he was as a person. Soulmate or not, suggesting to move in together right off the bat was absolutely mental and there was no way Haruka was showing him this page.

To his relief and to his regret, Makoto suddenly wrote. ' _I'm sorry, Haru, I have to go. My mom is calling me for breakfast and I still have to brush my teeth and get dressed. I'd love to chat with you more and ask everything I want to know, but if I don't hurry up I'll be late for school._ '

The thought of having to part now they finally met after years stung, but even though their worlds stopped turning when their gazes locked, the outside world continued on like nothing had happened. ' _It's okay. I have to get going too or else I'll miss my train._ '

' _Before you go, could I ask for your phone number and email? Then we can easily keep in touch without having to stand in front of a mirror all day._ '

Haruka nodded again. ' _Wait a second. I don't know them from the top of my head, so I have to get my phone._ '

' _No worries, I'll wait._ '

Once Haruka had retrieved his phone from some side pocket of his bag, he sped back to the bathroom. He wrote the information out on the page and Makoto copied it into his own notebook.

' _Thanks! I'll send you a message right away so you'll have my contact info too. Thank you for chatting with me, Haru. I couldn't have imagined a better soulmate._ ' Makoto tilted his head, eyes falling shut with a beaming grin.

Involuntarily, a smile graced Haruka's face as well. When met with such a joyous expression on such a handsome face, was it even possible not to smile as well? ' _Me neither._ '

After they scribbled some goodbyes, Haruka dashed out of the bathroom, promptly forgetting to even wash his face because his frantic heart was trying to hammer its way out of his chest. He had to start cooking or else he would certainly miss his train, but Haruka couldn't look away from his phone's screen, waiting for that message to pop up. Until then, he wouldn't be able to get a bite down his throat.

A whopping two minutes later, his phone beeped at last.

' _Hey Haru, this is Makoto. Here you have my contact info. Sorry if I'm being too forward, and if that is the case then you can tell me and I'll back off, but do you have time to talk some more later? I've been dying to meet you and like I said earlier, there are countless things I want to ask you. If not, that's alright. Please know that you're always welcome to call me or send me a message whenever you want. I'll try my best to respond as quickly as possible. I hope to hear back from you soon, but there's no rush. Have a nice day!_ '

Haruka stared at the screen, his stomach tingling with a wave of unfamiliar feelings. Now he was definitely going to be late for school.

Little did Haruka know back then that Makoto and he would see each other in person sooner than he had thought, that Makoto's dreams had been overrun by cobalt blue for as long as he could remember as well, and that their first interaction had not actually been their first meeting. But least of all, Haruka couldn't have foreseen that the mindless proposal he wrote on that October day in front of the mirror but hadn't held up to show Makoto would come true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another one of those AUs I've had in my head for years now but never had the opportunity to write prior to now. Soulmate AUs are some of my favourite AUs out there, so this was a blast to write for me and I hope you enjoyed it too.
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	30. Domesticated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1,821  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Domesticity, Accidental Marriage Proposal

Unlike many others, Haruka didn't go to work in the morning with dread in his gut. He had turned his passion into his career and despite there still being days when we'd rather swim leisurely than be barked at by his coach, he hadn't reached the point yet where he had gotten tired of training.

Nevertheless, Haruka's favourite moment of the day was unlocking the door to their apartment, where he could relax on the couch and unwind in the bath, but most importantly, where he could see Makoto again. Finally, that moment had arrived.

Muffled noises resonated through the walls, informing him that Makoto was home early. That knowledge brought a smile to Haruka's face. Although his day had been pretty good so far, he could always use a bright grin, a loving embrace and a tender kiss. Time to replenish his Makoto-well.

He stashed his key back into his pocket and pushed down the doorknob. "I'm home," he called out as he kicked off his shoes. He didn't get a response, so he ditched his bag in front of the bathroom door and went inside.

Makoto was standing in the middle of the living room with his back turned to him, pushing their wireless, low-decibel vacuum around the coffee table. It had been a gift from his mom on his previous birthday - yes, Haruka had reached the age where his parents gave him practical things as presents. Recently, she had become obsessed with high-tech appliances and after he off-handedly mentioned the cord of the vacuum getting tangled when he was on the phone with her while cleaning, she took it upon herself to rid him of those issues.

It had cost far more than Haruka would ever be willing to pay for a vacuum cleaner, but admittedly, it performed amazingly and left their old, cheap one in the dust. Vacuuming had been at the bottom of both of their lists in terms of chore-preferences, but this one ran so smoothly it eradicated the reasons they disliked it.

But the vacuum wasn't why Makoto hadn't heard him; after all, it was relatively quiet. It were the headphones covering his ears that caused him to miss Haruka's arrival.

Haruka opened his mouth to call out again rather than touching his shoulder or jumping in front of him, lest he startle him. But he abruptly shut up when Makoto started to sing along to his music.

His soft voice filled the room, bouncing off the walls and the notes immediately nestled themselves in a chamber of Haruka's heart. Ever since they were kids, Makoto had been the better singer between the two of them, but as he grew older and his voice matured, Makoto improved even more. His vocal range was pretty wide so he could effortlessly sing along to a variety of genres, be it mellow ballads or high-tempo rock songs. While Makoto's voice was already a treat to listen to when he talked, hearing him sing was a rare but very welcome massage to Haruka's eardrums.

To suit his voice, Makoto's taste in music was also very broad. He enjoyed almost anything, so sharing earbuds with him or passing him the aux cord in the car meant Haruka was in for a surprise. This time, he was singing along to an upbeat song by some foreign pop group that was often played on the radio and in stores. The lyrics described the sea breeze and silver sand on a summer night and although it was a bit out of season now they were well into autumn, Makoto's beautiful voice made it sound like a timeless serenade.

With bated breath, Haruka watched and listened. The sight of Makoto singing while vacuuming was rather mundane, something that could happen on any given day of the week, yet it made Haruka's chest brim with profound affection. He could travel the world, eat mackerel at Michelin-star restaurants, swim in every body of water within existence, and he still wouldn't be as happy as he was now. Trophies and the thrill of competing were a great bonus, but all that mattered was this; after work, he came home to the person he loved more than life itself, carefree and content.

When Makoto turned around the table to vacuum the floor on the other side, their eyes met and a wide smile lit up his handsome face. "Ah, Haru, I didn't hear you come in. Welcome home."

Naturally, Haruka smiled too. "I'm home," he said again.

After he turned off the vacuum, Makoto fished his phone out of his pocket to stop the music and put his headphones down on the table. Then, he went over to Haruka to engulf him in a big hug and welcome him home properly. As their lips met in a gentle kiss, Haruka realised he had been wrong; _this_ was his favourite moment of the day.

He cupped Makoto's face, the faintest hint of stubble on his jaw prickling his fingertips and although it was a feeling he otherwise found unpleasant, the roughness was kind of nice now. It was a part of Makoto and since it would be gone tomorrow morning after he shaved, Haruka had to savour it now.

Makoto pulled back sooner than he would've liked, but Haruka wouldn't sweat it. There was more than enough time left in the day to dedicate to loving kisses.

"When you unload your bag, you can leave your towels and swimsuit in front of the washing machine instead of putting them in the laundry basket," Makoto said, "I'm doing laundry anyway so I'll put them in once this round is done."

"Vacuuming, doing laundry," Haruka said with a huff of amusement, "Are you aiming to be a house husband?"

"Depends." Makoto shrugged. "Are your applications open?"

"I guess."

"Then does that mean I'm hired?"

"Who else would I hire?"

Makoto chuckled. "Does that mean we're married now?"

A large question mark appeared above Haruka's head. Had he just proposed to Makoto? "Engaged, I think?" Haruka said with a frown. This was not how he expected this milestone to go down. He'd thought there would be at least more gasps of surprise, fireworks and perhaps even a tear or two. Not a joking remark on an extraordinarily normal day. "This is the most confusing proposal I've ever heard."

More melodic laughter streamed from Makoto's mouth. "It's not exactly how I had envisioned it either, but I must say I quite like it. It was so easy and natural, like everything else between us is, too," he said and he did have a point. "Besides, I'm happy with the upgrade. I was never a fan of the term 'boyfriends' anyway. 'Fiancés' has a much nicer ring to it, doesn't it?"

In Haruka's opinion, it did sound a lot better. Fiancé was more encompassing than the term boyfriend was, and while Makoto was undoubtedly his boyfriend, he was so much more than that. He was his best friend, his better half, his Makoto. "How did you think of me before if you don't like the word 'boyfriend' then?"

"My partner, my significant other, my best friend with a whole bunch of benefits," Makoto said with a playful raise of his eyebrows, but then he smiled, soft and genuine. "My Haru-chan."

It was the answer Haruka could've predicted, yet it still made heat rush to his cheeks. "Drop the '-chan'."

Makoto snorted. He raised his hand and carded his fingers through Haruka's black locks. "Hey, Haru?"

"What?"

"Do you think I'll be a good husband?"

"Your cooking skills can use some brushing up," Haruka said with a smirk, earning himself an offended 'hey!' from Makoto. "But other than that, you'll be the perfect husband."

"Thanks," Makoto said, leaning down to plant a kiss on the tip of Haruka's nose. "You will, too, but I already told you that, didn't I?"

Haruka nodded, smiling as he recalled it. "During our second year of high school, when I was teaching you how to cook mackerel in miso for Ran and Ren."

"Back then, you said you weren't interested in getting married."

It was true. When he was younger he had no intention to get married, but that was because it wasn't possible to marry Makoto and it wasn't like there was anyone else he wanted to be with. It was a great relief that over the years, it had become an option. "I changed my mind."

A warm twinkle shone in Makoto's eyes. "I'm glad. Although I'm happy enough just being with you, there's something extra special about our relationship being officially and legally recognised, don't you think?"

Haruka nodded. According to their friends, they'd been like an old married couple since they were kids so in that regard, nothing would change. But even if the nature of their bond didn't change, the way the world viewed them would. Whenever Haruka met someone new, it was difficult to explain what Makoto was to him: with the title of husband, all those problems would vanish and everyone would understand immediately that Makoto was his world.

"If we get married in a few years, we'll be able to save up for a ceremony on the beach, and maybe for a honeymoon in Okinawa," Makoto said and Haruka's heart swelled at the thought, "But for now, we'll enjoy the fiancé-stage of our relationship."

"Yeah," Haruka said. Their lives were a bit too hectic to get married right away, but that didn't mean they couldn't fantasise about it. They would have plenty of time to dream up the perfect wedding. "To celebrate our engagement, I'll cook a special dinner tonight. What would you like to eat?"

"Mackerel."

"Mackerel?" Haruka asked with a frown. "Not green curry?"

Makoto shook his head. "Mackerel is my fiancé's favourite food."

That made Haruka's stomach flutter. Could Makoto be any more kind and selfless? He was truly proving himself as husband-material. "I'll make a chocolate cake for dessert then. That's my fiancé's favourite pastry."

At the mention of chocolate cake, Makoto's smile softened. "Thanks, Haru," he said and pressed a sweet kiss to Haruka's lips. "There isn't anyone in the entire world who I'd rather spend my life with, so thank you for choosing to be with me again and again."

"Me neither," Haruka said, tightening his arms around Makoto's neck. Revealing the contents of his heart remained to be something he struggled with, but Makoto deserved to hear just how much he meant to him. No matter how difficult something was, for Makoto he'd always try his best. "I love you."

"I love you too," Makoto said as he leaned their foreheads together, their noses touching. "So, so much."

Their eyes fell shut as their lips met in another passionate kiss.

If every day with Makoto was this domestic and comfortable, then Haruka was already looking forward to all the years yet to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope to see you again tomorrow!


	31. Halloween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 3,105  
> Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Costume Party, Costume Regret

What had seemed to be an amazing idea initially was quickly becoming one of the greatest regrets of Haruka's life.

Between the stares, both on the train ride here and at their destination, the immobility and the goosebumps that were erupting all over his skin, Haruka concluded that living the dream was _not_ worth it. He should've stayed home like he intended when he was first invited.

"It looks great, Haru, but isn't it a bit… inconvenient?" Asahi asked, raising his voice so Haruka could hear him above the loud bass of the music. Asahi was clad in a long white lab coat with a thick black belt, matching gloves and goggles and a grey wig to complete the mad scientist-look. If Asahi was the one disapproving of a choice he made, then Haruka screwed up really badly.

"Did Makoto carry you all the way here? Vampire-Kisumi asked, lisping through his fake fangs. "I think my uncle has a wheelbarrow you can borrow on the way back."

His friends laughed and if Haruka could stand right now, he would've strangled Kisumi. Why was Makoto taking so long to get some drinks and why had he even agreed to come here?

When they were at Marron a few weeks ago, Kisumi told them he was planning a Halloween party at his uncle's house; the Shigino family loved parties and every reason to hold one was as good as the next. But Kisumi wouldn't be Kisumi if he didn't add his own flair to a party and Halloween was the perfect occasion to go nuts.

The second Haruka heard of it, he decided he wasn't going and when Kisumi said it would be a costume party, his resolve strengthened. No matter how Kisumi pleaded, assured him it would be a small get-together with friends, tried to bribe him with a dozen cans of mackerel, Haruka wouldn't budge.

Despite not being big on parties either, Makoto had promised to come. He was a huge people-pleaser and if he was invited to something, the chances of him turning it down were very slim. It didn't sit quite well with Haruka that Makoto would be in such an environment by himself, without him being there to glare away anyone who would try to flirt with Makoto, but it wasn't like he could forbid him to go. He didn't want to, either. Makoto was an adult who was free to make his own choices and even if he could be a bit oblivious at times, their friends would be there to protect him if something happened.

But the thought lingered in Haruka's head and the closer the date came, the more he considered going. If Makoto were to outright ask him to come, then he wouldn't be able to refuse, but it didn't even get that far. When he saw the ad for the Halloween costume of his dreams, he was sold.

And that was how Haruka found himself on Kisumi's uncle's couch on October 31st, surrounded by approximately sixty people he didn't know - so much for it being a small get-together with friends - in nothing more than a mermaid tail and glittery scale-makeup adorning his cheeks and arms.

"Aren't you cold, Nanase?" his teammate, Suzuki Ryota, asked. He'd gone all out and wore a Pokémon trainer costume, complete with a Pokéball and a Pikachu plushie. "I brought an extra jacket, you can wear it if you want."

"It's fine," Haruka said through clenched teeth, trying his best not to shiver as to not admit defeat. His coat was lying somewhere in a pile in Kisumi's bedroom, but he had chosen this costume so he was going to commit to it for the whole night. That was the burden he had to carry. If only he had called the town committee back in Iwatobi and asked if they could've lent him the Iwatobi-chan mascot sumo suit. Then he would've lived a dream that wasn't as susceptible to critical stares and teasing remarks. Not being recognisable would've been a bonus too.

More people entered the room, but this time, they weren't strangers - whether it was to his delight or not wasn't clear yet. With whiskers and black noses drawn on their faces, Ikuya and Hiyori came in with matching cat-ears, collars with bells and tails. The instant Ikuya spotted him, his eyes widened in wonder and he sped over to his side with Hiyori following closely behind him.

"Ikuya, HIyori, I'm so glad you could make it!" Kisumi said, but Ikuya didn't even notice the host.

"Haru…" he mumbled, "Your costume is amazing. Where did you get it?"

"I don't know, somewhere online."

"And your makeup, did you do it yourself or did Makoto do it?"

"I did it," Haruka said. If Makoto had done it, it probably would've looked like smears of light blue blood on his face instead of scales.

"Speaking of, where is Makoto?" Hiyori asked while looking around the room. Although they hadn't become friends until recently, Hiyori had already learnt Makoto and Haruka were practically joined at the hip and thus a package-deal.

"His Highness is getting drinks for his beached boyfriend," Asahi said with a grin.

"Makoto is dressed as a prince?" Ikuya asked in disbelief, mouth slightly open and fire twinkling in his auburn eyes. "Are you The Little Mermaid and the prince?"

Kisumi said, "I suppose it's The Little Merman in Haru's case."

Haruka shrugged. It wasn't like he had specifically aimed for The Little Mermaid, but when he showed Makoto the light blue tale, Makoto had joked that they could wear couple's costumes and that he could be the prince. Only a fool wouldn't want to behold the sight of Makoto in a fancy prince suit, so that idea had received an immediate green light from Haruka.

But now, it wasn't his costume solely that he was regretting. Makoto was already too handsome for his own good normally, but this outfit enhanced his natural charm, making him damn near irresistible. Haruka was very much present now, but he couldn't do anything but watch as others tried to flirt with an unsuspecting Makoto. These people would throw themselves at him the minute he left Haruka's side as if they thought 'let's talk to this hot guy now his weird fish friend isn't here'.

Sufficient to say, Haruka dug his own grave in multiple ways.

But someone who didn't share that viewpoint was Ikuya, whose gaze drifted from Haruka's tail to his cat-clothes and his chest deflated in a manner that could only be described as envious. "How nice."

"Your costumes are very nice too," Kisumi said and the fake blood at the corners of his mouth made his smirk look even more devious than usual. "And a lot more practical."

"Yeah, but they're not as nice as Haru and Makoto's."

"Anyway, are there any snacks?" Hiyori changed the subject with a smile, though there was a clear glint of jealousy behind his glasses too. If Kisumi threw another costume party next year, Haruka would bet good money on what Ikuya and Hiyori would be wearing.

"There's a large table at the back with food and drinks," Asahi said, "Come, I'll show you."

As Asahi led Ikuya and Hiyori through the crowd, the group surrounding Haruka dispersed, leaving him alone with Kisumi. Haruka sighed. Could this night get any worse?

"Don't be so sulky, Haru," he said, "It's a party, try to have fun a little."

Haruka scoffed. "Maybe I would have fun if you had the cans of mackerel you promised me."

Kisumi laughed. "Yes, yes, I haven't forgotten about that. You'll have your cans before the end of next week, and I'll make sure I have some mackerel at my next party for you too."

His next party. As if Haruka would even attend another one of these parties after such a disastrous night. He might've been stupid enough to come here in a fishtail, but he wasn't that much of an idiot.

"To make it up to you for not having mackerel now, I'll go find Makoto for you. I'll tell him to hurry back to your side," Kisumi said, grabbing the cape of his suit and dramatically waving it around himself as he turned to walk off. This vampire-act of his was a bit too convincing. Maybe he was actually a bloodsucker.

Left to his devices, Haruka scanned the crowd to check if Makoto was among them somewhere. Who were all these people and how did Kisumi even know them? He'd been an amicable guy since middle school, but in the few months that they had lived here, Haruka had only met two, maybe three new people he would consider his friends and they were all from the swim team. With this many acquaintances, Kisumi could easily fill up twenty basketball teams.

Perhaps Kisumi was more like a spider after all. Once you got ensnared in his web of friendship, there was no way out.

At last, Makoto finally emerged from the masses and Haruka's heart sighed in relief. His golden crown was still firmly placed upon his brown locks and against his neat blue jacket, that was complete with epaulettes and a sash, he clutched two cups and a plastic plate of food. His beaming smile returned the instant their eyes met.

"Sorry it took so long," Makoto said as he plopped down next to Haruka on the couch. "All these people were trying to talk to me and I had a hard time shutting down the conversations. If it weren't for Kisumi, I'd probably still be stuck." Makoto handed him one of the cups. "Here. There isn't any water, so I got us barley tea and I didn't know what kind of snacks you wanted, so I got a little of everything."

"Thanks," Haruka said and he took a sip. "Sorry for making you do all of this for me."

"It's alright, I don't mind," Makoto said, his sunny smile not losing its radiance. "There are so many people here, though. I thought it would be just us, Asahi, Ikuya, Hiyori and maybe a couple of Kisumi's other friends."

"I guess these are only his dearest friends. If this house had been even bigger, he would've invited two-hundred of his closest friends."

Although it was hard to hear through the booming music, Makoto giggled. The warm sound melted Haruka's frigid heart a little. "Kisumi has always been that guy who gets along with everyone, huh?"

"So are you," Haruka said, as was proven by all the people who flocked to him on his way to the snacks table and back.

"Maybe so, but I do prefer an actually small group of friends together at once. Otherwise, it gets too loud and overwhelming."

Haruka nodded. He loved all his friends immensely, but if there were more than seven of them present at once - excluding Makoto - then he would go home with a massive headache and a longing for the water's clutch. Something that was bound to happen after tonight, too.

When Haruka reached over Makoto's lap to grab a handful of crisps to kill time with, Makoto's hand caught his wrist.

"Haru, you're freezing!" Makoto said, eyebrows raised in concern, "Here, take my jacket."

"It's fine, I'm not that cold," Haruka said, nonchalantly stuffing the crisps into his mouth, but Makoto saw right through his lies.

"Yes, you are." Makoto lifted the sash over his head and unbuttoned his jacket, wrapping it around Haruka's shoulders.

"This ruins both of our costumes."

"No, it doesn't," Makoto said with a clever grin, "It improves our costumes. You are a merman who I, the prince, found washed up on the shoreline behind my castle. I saved you and offered you my jacket to warm you up. It fits perfectly."

It was a nice fragment from their fairytale, but the weight pressing down on Haruka's stomach didn't crumble nor ebb away. "I shouldn't have picked this costume."

"Why not?" Makoto asked, "It looks great and it really suits you."

"Wearing it is too much trouble. Everyone is staring at me and I can't even go to the bathroom by myself."

"I understand that it's not easy to wear, but since when have you cared about what other people think?" Makoto put his hand over his free one and intertwined their fingers.

"I don't, it's just annoying…" Haruka said as he averted his eyes, but he didn't pull away from Makoto's touch. "Besides, I'm a bother to you."

Although he couldn't see it, Haruka could almost hear the frown that twisted Makoto's handsome face. "Who says you're a bother to me?"

"No one, but I am," Haruka said, "You have to carry me everywhere, you have to get us drinks and snacks and you can't have fun because you're stuck here on the couch with me. And now you even have to give up your own costume for me."

"Who says I'm not having fun?" Makoto said with his gentle smile. "I already told you that I don't mind carrying you or getting you snacks, and I'm not much of a dancer anyway so it's not like there's any other place I would be at than the couch."

Even if he said that, it still left a bitter taste in Haruka's mouth. What college student wanted to be their boyfriend's babysitter at a party? Makoto was just being selfless so he wouldn't feel bad about his ego-centric outfit choice.

"You know, I was looking forward to seeing you in your mermaid tail," Makoto said, so softly Haruka almost hadn't caught it. "So it's a shame that you're not enjoying wearing it."

"How so?" Haruka asked, turning his head to face Makoto again.

"When you saw the ad, you were so excited to wear it. Excited enough to want to come to this party even though you hate parties," Makoto said, chuckling a little in reminiscence. "It was so cute and it reminded me of when we were in kindergarten. When the teacher asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up, you immediately said you wanted to be a mermaid. I still remember how disappointed you looked when some of the other kids told you that was impossible."

A wave of nostalgia showered over Haruka at that memory. Although they were so small back then, Haruka remembered it vividly. When the teacher explained that she meant what occupation they would like to have as an adult rather than a dream species they wanted to become, he had pouted for the rest of the day. Because he liked helping his mom with cooking, he begrudgingly drew a chef instead.

"When I saw the disheartened look on your face, I wanted to make you feel better and I thought to myself that I would do anything to make your dream come true," Makoto continued, "And now, the opportunity for that dream to become reality finally arrived. I was so relieved when you decided to come because I wouldn't feel comfortable being here without you, and I felt like it was a mutual exchange: I help you out with your mermaid tail, you keep me company."

Haruka hadn't thought of it like that, but it wasn't necessary for Makoto to give something in return for him tagging along. For Makoto, Haruka would do anything, even if it was something he despised as much as going to parties with deafening music and loads of strangers.

"But even if it wasn't a mutual exchange, then I still wouldn't mind carrying you. As long as it makes you happy, I'd carry you to the end of the world and back," Makoto said, rubbing his thumb over Haruka's knuckles. "So I'm sorry to hear you're not enjoying yourself. We can go home if you want. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

A tiny smile stretched Haruka's cheeks at Makoto's endless kindness and devotion. His sweet words untied the knot in Haruka's stomach and suddenly, he didn't feel so misplaced anymore. "We already went through the trouble of dressing up and coming here, we might as well stay a little longer." Haruka shrugged, trying to regain an aloof demeanour. "It's only for one night anyway."

"Thanks, Haru," Makoto said and he leaned closer to press a kiss to Haruka's lips, but when he realised where they were, he hesitated.

Although they weren't keen on public displays of affection, there were so many people here that probably no one was batting an eye at them. A quick little kiss wouldn't hurt.

But as their lips met in a tender kiss, Haruka decided to prolong it, because there was no sign more obvious to show that Makoto was taken. With a dash of luck, some of the people who were trying to flirt with Makoto before caught a glimpse of them and received the message to back off.

After a couple of seconds, Makoto pulled back. He put his hand on Haruka's leg, caressing the fabric of his tail with his fingertips. "Even if it's a bit inconvenient because you can't move freely, the tail does look beautiful on you."

"Thanks," Haruka said as he ran his gaze over Makoto's figure. "The princely garbs look good on you too. Don't throw them out after tonight."

Hearty laughter left Makoto's lips. "Alright, if you keep your tail, too."

"Of course," Haruka said, "Maybe we can continue this fairytale later then, play out what happens after the prince finds the merman and gives him his jacket."

"That's not a bad idea," Makoto said with a flame of wanton igniting in his pupils. "We can keep these outfits for at-home usage. At the next Halloween party, we can dress up as something more convenient and conventional, like witches or cats."

"Ikuya and Hiyori already claimed cats. Maybe we should do ghosts, then we only have to cut eyes and mouth-holes out of old sheets and we're done."

"So we're going from high effort to the bottom of the barrel, huh?" Makoto snorted. "We'll think about it later, we still have 365 days left to decide. For now, let's enjoy this party and these costumes for as long as they last."

"Yeah," Haruka agreed as he grabbed a bat-cookie from the plate. But before he took a bite, he mumbled, "Thanks, Makoto."

He was blessed with another sunny smile. "Happy Halloween, Haru."

Their lips met in another kiss, that was brief yet immensely loving.

Even if Haruka got tricked into coming to a party, as long as Makoto was with him, every day was a treat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween everyone!
> 
> Sharing all these little fics has been so much fun and this month has given me the opportunity to flesh out some ideas I wouldn't have had time to write otherwise. I struggled more with some prompts than with others and even if getting everything finished and up on time was a bit hectic on some days, now that it's over, I feel happy and fulfilled. Thank you so much for taking this month-long journey with me and I hope that, between all these stories, there was at least one that you enjoyed.
> 
> You can find me over on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/DatHeetJoella) and [Tumblr](https://datheetjoella.tumblr.com/) @DatHeetJoella for more MakoHaru content between fic-updates. You can also send me a message on [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/DatHeetJoella) whenever you want.
> 
> Once again, thank you so much for reading and for your support, I hope you enjoyed and I wish you all a lovely end of the year!


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